Palmer receives money for housing

Apartments will provide homes for low-income elderly

By JEN RANSOM-Frontiersman reporter

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has included Palmer in housing assistance grants to help Alaska's low-income elderly and people with disabilities. The grants, totaling more than $6 million, will be awarded to four different organizations in Alaska this year.

Alaska Enfranchise Facilities Inc. is the nonprofit sponsor of the Palmer project. Advanced to the project from the HUD grants will be $891,100 to build four one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom manager's unit. The capital advancement grant will not need to be repaid as long as the housing is available for occupancy by very low-income seniors for at least 40 years.

"This administration is committed to making sure our senior citizens and people with disabilities have opportunities for decent, safe and affordable places to live," said HUD Secretary Mel Martinez. "This money that we awarded today will go a long way toward achieving that goal."

In addition to funding the projects, HUD grants will subsidize rents for five years so that senior residents will only pay 30 percent of their adjusted incomes as rent. Palmer will receive $114,500 in funds for the rent subsidy.

Anchorage will also receive a grant for supportive housing for low-income elderly, while two other projects, in Fairbanks and Juneau, will receive funding to provide supportive housing for low-income people with disabilities.

To be classified as very low income, a household income cannot exceed 50 percent of the area's median income. Alaska's 2003 medium income is $68,200, so tenants will be required to make less than $34,100 a year. According to a press release from HUD, many of the families that will utilize the housing made available will have an income of less than 30 percent of the area mean, or $20,460.