03/30/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 65                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act  making  regional Native  housing  authorities                                                                    
     eligible to  receive grants through the  Alaska Housing                                                                    
     Finance  Corporation from  the senior  citizens housing                                                                    
     development fund."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:16:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIMOTHY   CLARK,   STAFF,   REPRESENTATIVE   BRYCE   EDGMON,                                                                    
highlighted  the features  of HB  65. He  stated that  HB 65                                                                    
would benefit senior citizens across  the state by including                                                                    
regional  housing authorities  among  the entities  eligible                                                                    
for grants through the  Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's                                                                    
Senior Citizens Housing Development  Fund (SCHDF). The SCHDF                                                                    
contributed  funding to  organizations that  develop quality                                                                    
housing for older Alaskans, who  make up the fastest growing                                                                    
segment  of  our population.  While  SCHDF  grants had  been                                                                    
available to municipalities and  501 c(3) and (4) nonprofits                                                                    
since  the  fund's   inception,  Alaska's  regional  housing                                                                    
authorities had not been eligible.  House Bill 65, which had                                                                    
the  support  of  the  Alaska  Housing  Finance  Corporation                                                                    
(AHFC), will  correct that omission.  IN most  cases, grants                                                                    
through  the  SCHDF complement  funding  from  a variety  of                                                                    
other sources. Often and ACHDF  grant was the final piece of                                                                    
the puzzle that  allowed a project to go  forward. Funds can                                                                    
be put toward pre-development  expenses and new construction                                                                    
as   well  as   acquisition  of   properties,  accessibility                                                                    
modifications,  and  rehabilitations. Alaska's  14  regional                                                                    
housing authorities  span from Ketchikan to  Barrow and were                                                                    
among the  state's most experience developers  of affordable                                                                    
housing.  Making  housing  authorities eligible  for  grants                                                                    
would  not  increase spending  through  the  SCHDF. It  may,                                                                    
however,  widen  the  selection of  projects  competing  for                                                                    
grants  and  increase  AHFC's ability  to  more  effectively                                                                    
allocate funding.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman pointed  out the one zero  fiscal note from                                                                    
the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman MOVED  to report  HB 65  out of  committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note. There being NO OBJECTION it was so ORDERED.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
HB  65  was REPORTED  out  of  committee  with a  "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and with  a new  zero fiscal  note from  the                                                                    
Department of Revenue.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:19:06 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:24:21 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED