Talk of Alaska: Alaska’s chronic housing shortage

the upper floor exterior of a hotel. Doors and doormats line the corridor.
The renovated Barratt Inn will have 96 permanent housing units, of varying size. Photographed July 27, 2023. (Dev Hardikar/Alaska Public Media)

Across Alaska, an insufficient housing supply and historically high rental and mortgage rates are pushing Alaskans into urban centers, causing overcrowding, and forcing some to leave the state or into homelessness. Affordable housing is critical for health and wellbeing, and leads to better employment and education outcomes. What are the solutions to Alaska’s chronic housing shortage? We talk with Alaskans focused on answers on this Talk of Alaska.

LISTEN:

HOST: Lori Townsend

GUESTS:

  • Meg Zaletel – Anchorage Assembly Member representing Midtown
  • Jason Bockenstedt – Executive Director, Anchorage Affordable Housing and Land Trust
  • Jasmine Boyle – Chief Development Officer, RurAL CAP
  • Jackie Pata – President and CEO, Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority


PARTICIPATE:

Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast.

Send an email to talk@alaskapublic.org (Comments may be read on air).

Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air).

LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, September 12 at 10 a.m. on Alaska public radio stations statewide.

Lori Townsend

Lori Townsend is the chief editor, senior vice president of journalism and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452. Read more about Lori here.

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