Governor’s housing summit seeks solutions

Experts from around the state gathered in Anchorage Wednesday to hear and share information on a variety of topics related to housing in Alaska.

Governor Bill Walker convened the summit, which included sessions on housing concerns in rural Alaska, and boosting private sector investment.

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Elizabeth Schultz, the governor’s laisson for community and non profits, says housing problems are not limited to the state’s homeless population, and include overcrowding in the state’s rural areas, limited options for seniors and a shortage of affordable family housing, which can be a barrier to potential job-seekers in the state.

“We’ve got passionate advocates that have been working in non profits for years to end homelessness and to draw attention to those issues, but we are realizing now that these housing issues are broad in scope and affect every economic strata in the state, so we need to start thinking of creative solutions.”

Jack Hebert  is the CEO of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. He says thousands of bush homes need to be replaced now. Houses built in rural Alaska during the 1970s and 80s were inappropriate and did not stand up to the stressors of the environment.

‘Newer homes are much better, housing authorities and others building in rural Alaska are now building very good homes, but they are just too expensive. We have to figure out how we can meet the demand in rural Alaska with a more affordable home. We need to develop the resources that are there for the housing industries, that includes lumber to build houses or other materials that may be available locally to build economies.”

Hebert  says the expense of building new homes has led to a problem of overcrowding in rural village homes, where several generations share the same dwelling.

One agency that has been working to make changes in the urban area is Cook Inlet Housing Authority. President and CEO Carol Gore says new housing revitalizes decaying neighborhoods.

“We want the homes to be full of light, so we put in as many windows as we can afford and still be energy efficient. We want to put flowers in the front yard so that when people come home, that ownership for them is so clear. When they walk in the door, it’s theirs, and they own not just their own home, but they become part of the neighborhood. So now you are beginning to get people engaged in the neighborhood that they live in.”

Gore says home ownership keeps families in a community, which in turn translates to positive social outcomes. Cook Inlet uses about 15% federal money combined with state and private financing to revitalize housing in Anchorage neighborhoods.