02/06/1993 08:00 AM House STA

  HJR 24:  MILITARY HOUSING SHORTAGE                                           
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY stated the meeting was being teleconferenced                  
  to Fairbanks, Anchorage, Soldotna, Mat-Su, Ketchikan and                     
  Sitka.  He read the title of HJR 24 and invited comments.                    
  HOWARD JOYCE, LEGISLATIVE AIDE TO REPRESENTATIVE ELDON                       
  MULDER, PRIME SPONSOR of HJR 24, gave an overview of the                     
  resolution, which required the Alaska Housing Finance                        
  Corporation (AHFC), and certain municipalities to come up                    
  with a solution to the military housing shortage in Alaska.                  
  He advised that HJR 24 had been put together by General Cox,                 
  Commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans                      
  Affairs, Representative Mulder and Senator Stevens.  He said                 
  that according to Senator Stevens, Anchorage and Fairbanks                   
  did not meet the housing criteria of the Department of                       
  Defense, so there was a chance that Alaskan military bases                   
  could be closed.                                                             
                                                                               
  MR. JOYCE alleged the Base Relocation and Closure Commission                 
  had been formed and would meet soon to begin to review bases                 
  for closure.  Studies in Anchorage and Fairbanks had shown                   
  that approximately 50 percent of off-base military personnel                 
  were unsuitably housed, he said, and the majority of those                   
  were noncommissioned officers and enlisted personnel.  In                    
  Anchorage, a study had shown the market had enough one and                   
  two bedroom housing but not enough three and four bedroom                    
  units, while in Fairbanks, an eight hundred and one housing                  
  unit had been authorized, he disclosed.                                      
                                                                               
  MR. JOYCE added the 801 housing unit was a program where a                   
  private developer constructed housing which would then be                    
  leased to the military for 20-25 year periods.  He disclosed                 
  Ben Lomon Construction had been awarded the contract in                      
  September, 1991, but had been unable to obtain long-term                     
  financing.                                                                   
                                                                               
  MR. JOYCE stated it was the sponsors' intent for the AHFC to                 
  come up with regulations or a plan that would allow private                  
  developers to invest and provide the housing.  He stated                     
  also that Senator Stevens had requested HJR 24 be passed as                  
  soon as possible, because if Alaska wanted the military                      
  bases to remain open, adequate military housing must be                      
  available.                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY summarized HJR 24 for the committee.  He                      
  alleged the Governor worked with the Department of Natural                   
  Resource to "pull this through."                                             
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE GARY DAVIS said, "This creates a condition                    
  that is the bases in Alaska.  We have the mechanism to build                 
  if state decides."                                                           
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY explained HJR 24.                                             
                                                                               
  MR. JOYCE stated HJR 24 was a proposal for showing of                        
  commitment, and suggested striking a word on page 6 and                      
  putting in an amendment.                                                     
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN VEZEY thanked Mr. Joyce for his testimony.  He                      
  asked if any person wished to testify on HJR 24.  He then                    
  MOTIONED to AMEND.                                                           
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE G. DAVIS MOTIONED to move HJR 24 out of                       
  committee.  Roll was taken and the vote to pass was                          
  unanimously yes.