SCR 3: Recognizing the shortage of affordable housing available in the state; supporting public-private partnerships that maximize the impact of public funding; and urging the state to support Housing Alaskans.
00 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3 01 Recognizing the shortage of affordable housing available in the state; supporting public- 02 private partnerships that maximize the impact of public funding; and urging the state to 03 support Housing Alaskans. 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS there is a shortage of affordable housing in the state; and 06 WHEREAS the average home sales price in the state has risen 17 percent since 2019, 07 and rents rose eight percent between 2021 and 2022; and 08 WHEREAS the increase in housing costs in the state is most economically harmful to 09 low- and middle-income households and leads to overcrowding and an inability for 10 households to meet food, medical, and other family needs; and 11 WHEREAS, because a lack of safe and affordable housing is a key barrier to 12 attracting and retaining workers, the housing shortage in the state inhibits economic growth 13 and hurts the state economy; and 14 WHEREAS construction has slowed considerably because housing projects do not 15 account for the actual sale or rental prices consumers can afford, and Alaska is one of just
01 three states where new housing construction permits declined between 2019 and 2022; and 02 WHEREAS, because the average house in the state was built in 1985, almost 40 years 03 ago, housing preservation is critical, and more funding is needed to maintain and preserve 04 existing housing while new housing units are added to the market; and 05 WHEREAS the scale of the housing problem in the state and the funding needed to 06 address it requires creative solutions; and 07 WHEREAS Housing Alaskans was formed as a public-private partnership to produce, 08 preserve, and protect housing for all residents of the state and will work to leverage state, 09 federal, and municipal resources with philanthropic contributions to increase the housing 10 supply throughout the state; and 11 WHEREAS funds of Housing Alaskans are invested, managed, and granted by the 12 Alaska Community Foundation through an independent board of directors that represents the 13 geographic, ethnic, and cultural diversity of all residents of the state, including representation 14 from various state regions, sectors affected by the housing crisis, and those who have 15 expertise in the state in housing needs; 16 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the shortage of 17 affordable housing available across communities in the state and the significant social and 18 economic costs of not addressing this housing shortage; and be it 19 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports public-private 20 partnerships that maximize the impact of public funding; and be it 21 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the state to support 22 Housing Alaskans to leverage funding to preserve existing and build new housing across the 23 state.