Housing Alaskans: A Public-Private Partnership awards $750,000 to local housing development

WASILLA — Housing Alaskans: A Public-Private Partnership recently awarded six nonprofit organizations $750,000 in "top-off" funding to kickstart new housing developments across the state, creating more than 80 new homes for Alaskan residents.

The grants are designed to help stalled housing developments that were affected by rising construction costs or close financial gaps preventing groundbreaking or project completion in 2023, according to a recent press release.

The new homes will provide six communities with high need housing solutions for seniors, very low to middle-income families, individuals seeking permanent supportive housing, and domestic violence survivors.

HAPPP received over three dozen applications from housing providers and developers in 19 communities, seeking $4.4 million in total.

Alaska is currently experiencing a severe housing shortage exacerbated by escalating construction costs that were further exacerbated by the pandemic, hindering access to housing for the local workforce and threatening the state economy. It can take nonprofit housing developers years to gather the necessary funds which often leads project delays.

HAPPP was described as a "housing accelerator fund" that was established to address Alaska’s housing crisis by awarding grants to bring housing developments to completion, support residents in need, and aid the state economy.

“We are pleased to partner with these non-profit housing providers to address Alaska’s housing crisis. This investment underscores HAPPP’s commitment to tackle the pressing housing challenges our communities face,” HAPPP board chair Preston Simmons stated in the press release. “Through these strategic investments, we are igniting transformative progress, bringing much-needed housing stability to Alaska communities. We congratulate the recipients and thank these providers for their work to house Alaskans.”

The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), will administer the grants.

This is the first wave of grants, marking a major milestone in HAPPP'S mission to produce, preserve, and protect housing for all Alaskans.

This year's award receipts are: Nome- Nome Community Center, Home Plate Nome, LLC; Sitka- Sitka Homeless Coalition, Hítx’i Sáani (Tlingit for “Little Houses”) Project; Wasilla- Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc., Aspen House; Juneau- AWARE, Inc; Cordova Street Housing Project; Soldotna- RurAL CAP, Tatum Self-Help Project; Nikolai- Interior Regional Housing Authority, Nikolai New Housing Construction.

For more information, visit housingalaskans.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com