Housing

Mayor Beth Weldon hand-picked the members of the group. Despite the lack of renters, she says the group can still make decisions that represent the various viewpoints on short-term rentals in town.

Alaska’s organized borough governments would be encouraged to make long-term plans for housing projects under a bill passed Monday by the Alaska Senate.

The bill from Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, would prevent discrimination against the homeless on the grounds of their homelessness.

The average residential property assessments rose by less than 1%. But many homes near the riverfront are seeing a decline in their assessed value following last August’s glacial outburst flood.

While biking near their rented home in Fairbanks, Alaska, Justine Schmidt and her partner, Josh Paul, stumbled upon a plot of land that spoke to them. 

It’s just one way the Assembly and city are trying to incentivize developers to build more housing in the borough.

The apartments are slated to be built across the street from the Mendenhall Mall and roughly a third of the units must meet affordability requirements laid out by the city.

Twenty of the apartments will be rented as affordable units as part of the loan requirements. The plan is to offer 16 one-bedroom and 6 two-bedroom apartments at the site.

According to a recent report by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, it’s due to a mixture of increased outmigration and deaths outnumbering births in the region.

T’áa Shuyee Hit Haven House is now accepting applications for up to nine residents.