State protections for Alaskans facing foreclosures and evictions due to the pandemic are ending on Wednesday. A moratorium on repossessing vehicles like cars, aircrafts and boats will also end.
These protections were put into place in Senate Bill 241, which the Legislature passed in March. It benefits Alaskans who lost income as a result of the pandemic.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy said other protections will remain until Nov. 15, including a moratorium on disconnecting residential utilities.
Dunleavy was asked during a news conference on Tuesday what renters who still need help should do.
“You know, I can’t answer that right now — what advice I would give folks,” Dunleavy said. “Certainly, we don’t know how long this whole process is going to work. This pandemic literally has disrupted everybody’s lives. We’re trying to get out as far as we can in front (of problems) — but we’re writing a playbook to try to deal with some of these things.”
Some communities have used federal CARES Act funding to provide direct assistance to residents, including renters affected by the pandemic.
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and federally sponsored enterprises are working to provide forbearance through August for affected mortgage holders.
Andrew Kitchenman is the state government and politics reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO in Juneau. Reach him at akitchenman@alaskapublic.org.
