Association of Alaska Housing Authorities

Legislation

2004 State of Alaska Legislative Priorities

We support adequate funding for the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s Supplemental Housing Development Grant Program. The minimum amount funded should be the Governor’s Budgeted amount of $4.3 Million. The regional housing authorities estimate that more than $12 million would fully meet the FY05 funding need. This program is an essential tool in helping to alleviate the shortage of decent, safe and sanitary housing in Alaska.

The program provides a 20% match to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants and is designated to regional housing authorities in the state. Grants fund needed infrastructure, as only a limited amount of HUD funds can be used for this purpose. That infrastructure includes water and sewer systems, access roads to new housing developments and connections to electrical power. The program also funds energy efficiency design features in homes.

In FY03, the grant program created hundreds of jobs, resulted in millions of dollars in construction related purchases, supported the new construction or rehabilitation of 478 houses and 110 low rent units, which provided safe, decent, affordable housing for 1,479 people, in both rural and urban Alaska.

In FY03, the program leveraged nearly $29 million in federal construction monies into the State.