National Guard Bureau signs $292M apartment contract for 2,000 units in Washington D.C.

Get Task & Purpose in your inbox Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today for the latest military news each morning.

Thousands of National Guardsmen mobilized to Washington, D.C., will soon be living in apartment units under a $292 million rental contract that the Guard describes as a "long-term housing solution," officials announced.

Contract Details

National Guard Bureau officials announced Friday that it had signed a $292 million contract with corporate lodging company Placemakr to provide 2,000 apartment-style units for Guardsmen mobilized in Washington, D.C., according to a Friday press release.

Officials did not specify how long the Guard would be renting the apartments, but websites that track federal contracts showed an end date of June 2027.

The contract was signed with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which handles procurement for the entire federal government and offers pre-negotiated contracts for goods and services to federal agencies.

Mobilization Background

In August 2025, President Donald Trump announced the mobilization of 800 local National Guardsmen to Washington, D.C., to bolster local law enforcement. That number has gradually increased over the past year as Republican governors have added troops from their states to the mission.

As of Monday, 4,755 National Guardsmen from 15 states were assigned to the Guard's Joint Task Force-District of Columbia.

Current Housing Situation

The majority of those troops without local housing had been staying at hotels throughout the region, officials said. It has been unclear how long the D.C. Guard mobilization will last, but contracts with local vendors to supply services—such as daily meals—have served as indicators of how officials plan for the evolving mission, which is about to hit one year in August.

With the latest housing contract for thousands of apartments, officials described it as a "long-term housing solution."

Placemakr Properties and Amenities

Placemakr advertises its rental services as "apartment meet hotel," offering fully furnished units available for short- or long-term stays. The company operates in major cities including New York City; Austin, Texas; and Atlanta, Georgia. There are four Placemakr housing complexes in Washington and one in Arlington, Virginia.

Rents for a studio or one-bedroom apartment at the property in D.C.'s Navy Yard neighborhood can range from $1,800 to $2,800 per month.

According to contract documents, GSA has a deal with Placemakr for a variety of apartments with amenities similar to other complexes in the area. Placemakr offers units ranging from small single-room studios as small as 277 square feet to five-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot units. Amenities include:

• Weekly housekeeping
• Wi-Fi
• Smart TVs
• In-room or on-site washers and dryers
• Gyms
• Full kitchens or partial kitchenettes

Official Statements

National Guard officials said the apartments would provide troops with "more stable living conditions, improved privacy and quality of life and access to secure parking and consolidated support services."

"The contract is the largest interagency lodging acquisition in National Guard history, providing a long-term housing solution to improve troop readiness, quality of life and operational security while reducing costs to taxpayers, all key issues given the scale and scope of the D.C. mission," officials said.

Task & Purpose Video Each week on Tuesdays and Fridays, our team brings you analysis of military tech, tactics, and doctrine.