Housing

Despite decades of efforts by various organizations, Sitka has no homeless shelter.

With such high rental rates, saving to buy a house can feel like an impossible dream for many young Sitkans. But thanks to a new affordable housing development, a single mom and her kids will be moving into a brand new home of their own later this summer.

According to the Alaska Department of Labor, January job numbers were down 7.4% from the same month in 2020 — that’s 23,000 fewer jobs.

Alaska is the only place in the country that recorded deflation on a metropolitan consumer price index last year.

At the same time, many Alaskans are really struggling, and experiencing housing insecurity.

Unalakleet housing director Kari Duame says having the kitchen and bathroom components completed offsite gets around the need to bring in skilled trades people.

The bucket of federal cash is so big, state housing officials think there’s enough to pay rent for everyone eligible — for a year.

“We do want to make sure we’re trying to get it into the right hands … quickly, but not so quickly that we rush ourselves into additional mistakes,” Assembly member Michelle Hale said.

It’s one more strategy local policymakers are considering toward a perennial goal to make housing more affordable in the Capital City.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has expanded the disaster declaration for the severe December storm swept through Southeast Alaska to include relief for individuals whose homes were damaged or destroyed.