An emerging problem in Alaskan housing was addressed in a recent day-long summit hosted by Governor Bill Walker. Experts from all over the state were invited to discuss possible solutions.
By the end of the whole day summit, they hope to come up with unbiased and concrete solutions to their state's Fiscal crunch.
Decades ago, during the oil boom, many houses were rapidly built in Alaska. However, because of little planning and quick execution these houses have been found substandard and very expensive to heat. Another problem the summit intends to address is overcrowding in houses. A 2014 assessment by the Alaska Housing Finance Corp. revealed almost zero availability of vacant housing in some communities like Kodiak.
Governor Walker said during his summit speech that it would be necessary to help residents find affordable land. The crowd applauded him when he noted that Alaska has a vast land area and that he would look for possible ways to make it accessible for housing.
Participants of the summit looked at the probable causes of Alaska's problems at every angle. Most agreed that it is by far the most challenging housing crisis they've tackled.
Rachel D'Oro of Associated Press reported, through the Daily Journal of Commerce, that the possible barriers the summit participants identified were the following: "Bureau of Indian Affairs trust land sitting idle because old structures have not been removed; federal income limits that are unrealistic for the state; a lack of master planning at individual villages; and the prohibitive cost of labour, supplies that have to be shipped or flown in; and logistics to develop housing in remote places. Some participants mentioned a lack of coordination between federal, state, regional and tribal governments."
As for solutions, experts looked at various points such as: rural housing, providing financing alternatives, senior housing, and solving the issue of homelessness.
