Federal Property Maintenance Crisis Reaches $50 Billion as Buildings Deteriorate
Federal employees across the United States are working in buildings with serious health and safety problems, the result of a maintenance backlog now estimated at $50 billion. Buildings managed by the General Services Administration contain rats, mold, Legionella bacteria in water systems, broken elevators, and leaking roofs. The Public Buildings Reform Board projects the backlog will exceed the entire value of the federal real estate portfolio by 2030. Problems intensified after the Trump administration ordered federal workers back to offices that had sat empty during the pandemic, with stagnant water systems and uncleaned HVAC filters.
Federal law requires Congress to approve any building improvements exceeding $3.96 million, a threshold that covers only three elevator replacements when dozens need replacement. The approval process averages 435 days, causing costs to balloon as problems worsen. A roof and HVAC project at the Kennedy Federal Building in Boston has grown more than 400 percent since 2016, while its elevators have trapped people 49 times in two years. GSA Administrator Edward Forst asked Congress in May to raise the approval threshold to $75 million and grant full access to the federal buildings fund, but lawmakers have not acted.
The 1,475 buildings owned by GSA average 50 years old and require everything from roof replacements to asbestos remediation. Water testing found Legionella bacteria at FDA headquarters and the Mazzoli Federal Building in Louisville, Kentucky. IRS employees in Atlanta encountered rats and roof leaks requiring plastic sheeting and trash cans to catch rain inside the building. Forty percent of GSA’s own headquarters was deemed unsafe due to inadequate ventilation from old radiators and window air conditioning units. The federal judiciary asked Congress this year to take over management of its buildings because GSA could not complete repairs fast enough.
Former GSA real estate chief Dan Mathews said Congress is unlikely to change appropriations rules because spending on government buildings ranks low against voter-facing services. The Public Buildings Reform Board has urged the government to sell underused properties with massive deferred maintenance costs rather than continue accumulating repair obligations. The deteriorating conditions affect not only federal workers but also members of the public who visit the buildings for veterans benefits, Social Security services, and other programs. Federal regulatory agency OSHA has cited violations at facilities nationwide, including wasp infestations in St. Paul, Minnesota, and more than 100 code violations at an Austin IRS building.
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