Beyond Housing: Corvias’ Denise Hauck on the Future of Defense Communities - “How can we apply innovation in ways we haven’t even thought of yet?”

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today’s military families want more than housing – they want connection, community and a sense of belonging.

That was a central message from Denise Hauck, President, Department of War (DOW) Business, Corvias, during a panel discussion at the 2026 Association of Defense Communities (ADC) Summit this week in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of industry leaders met to discuss issues shaping the future of more than 700 American military bases globally.

Speaking on the panel “Building Great Places for Military Families to Call Home” with Armed Services YMCA CEO Vice Adm. (Ret.) Bill French, Hauck emphasized that military housing must continue evolving to meet the changing needs of military families.

What Military Families Want Now

“Families always want something that’s well maintained and provides them with a good living experience,” Hauck said. “But the soldier of today also wants a community. They want their families to feel like they are part of something.”

Hauck highlighted the importance of long-term infrastructure investment through the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI), which enables modernization across military housing while creating opportunities to advance innovation.

Corvias has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in ongoing renovations and infrastructure upgrades for service member homes, while also pioneering installation energy modernization and indoor environmental programs – a first for military housing.

“MHPI allows us to make those investments in long-term improvements in infrastructure to make sure that we’re taking care of the things that we need today, but also thinking about tomorrow,” Hauck said. “How can we take innovation and apply it in ways we haven’t even thought of yet, using our strength in innovation?”

Connecting Residents and Resources

She also reinforced the importance of seeing military housing as part of a larger community ecosystem.

“The first step is really realizing we’re not doing this in a bubble,” Hauck said. “Seventy percent of residents live off-post, so you have to realize you’re not just part of the installation community – you’re part of that broader community.”

Hauck emphasized the importance of connecting residents with resources and support services available outside the gate.

Throughout the conversation, Hauck focused on how thoughtful military housing community design and clear resident communication can improve the day-to-day experience for military families. She pointed to creating more “walkable, connected communities that strengthen resident experience” as an example.

Spotlight on Indoor Spaces

Looking ahead, Hauck identified in-home environmental quality as essential to resilience.

The company’s industry-first Wellness at Home program – deployed in thousands of Corvias homes across Fort Meade, Fort Riley and Fort Bragg – supports soldier and family wellbeing through indoor wellness technologies that meet rigorous, third-party performance standards.

“People spend the majority of their time in their home,” Hauck said. “How those environments shape how we can perform in our daily responsibilities is extremely important.”

Corvias recently announced that more than 800 homes across its portfolio have achieved WELL Residence Certification, with nearly 5,000 residences targeted for indoor enhancements this year.

About Corvias

Corvias partners with the Department of War (DOW) and higher education institutions to solve infrastructure and energy resiliency challenges and to create long-term, sustainable value through our unique Solutions Through Partnerships® approach. Corvias partnerships support energy resilience and quality of indoor environments through renewable energy projects, energy savings projects, and WELL for Residential certified enhancements in homes across our communities. Our more than 72,000 residents consistently highly rank the courtesy and professionalism of our maintenance and leasing personnel. Learn more at: www.corvias.com.