05/13/2025 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

        HB 184-AIDEA FINANCE WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOP.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:27:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MEARS  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 184, "An  Act relating to the Alaska Industrial                                                               
Development  and  Export  Authority; and  relating  to  workforce                                                               
housing development projects."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:27:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ANDI STORY,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor, gave  a recap of  the bill.   She said  Alaska's housing                                                               
crisis  continues to  contribute to  the outmigration  of Alaskan                                                               
individuals  and  families, which  in  turn,  contributes to  the                                                               
workforce shortage and highlights  the need for multi-unit worker                                                               
housing.    The  bill  seeks  to  expand  the  Alaska  Industrial                                                               
Development and  Export Authority  (AIDEA's) purpose  in statute.                                                               
Section  1 adds  to the  purpose  of AIDEA  to create  additional                                                               
employment   by  providing   various  means   of  financing   and                                                               
facilitating  the  financing  of construction  of  new  workforce                                                               
housing  facilities  containing  five  or  more  dwelling  units.                                                               
AIDEA  has shown  support for  the bill  despite not  engaging in                                                               
financing workforce housing for some time.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:28:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HALL  moved  to  adopt Amendment  1  to  HB  184,                                                               
labeled 34-LS0855\A.1, Walsh, 5/9/25, which read:                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, lines 1 - 2:                                                                                                       
          Delete "the Alaska Industrial Development and                                                                       
     Export Authority; and relating to"                                                                                       
          Insert "financing by the Alaska Industrial                                                                          
     Development and Export Authority for"                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-CHAIR MEARS objected for purposes of discussion,                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:29:02 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HALL  explained that Amendment 1  proposes a title                                                               
change to tighten  the purpose of the bill.   It would make clear                                                               
that the bill  is about the financing of  workforce housing loans                                                               
with AIDEA.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MEARS removed  her objection.  There  being no  further                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:29:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HALL  moved  to  adopt Amendment  2  to  HB  184,                                                               
labeled 34-LS0855\A.2, Walsh/ 5/8/25, which read:                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 6, line 28, through page 7, line 1:                                                                                   
          Delete all material.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MEARS objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:29:52 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HALL  explained that  Amendment 2  deletes Section                                                               
5, which  provides the definition  that sets financial  limits as                                                               
defined by the  U.S. Department of Housing  and Urban Development                                                               
(USHUD).   The  change was  requested because  the definition  of                                                               
workforce  housing was  seen  as an  unecessary  barrier, as  the                                                               
monitoring  of  tenants'  income   could  deter  developers  from                                                               
applying for  the program.   Furthermore, there's no need  to put                                                               
restrictions  on  affordable  housing,  because  when  a  typical                                                               
market  rate  apartment  building is  constructed,  it's  already                                                               
providing affordable housing.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MEARS removed  her objection.  There  being no  further                                                               
objection, Amendment 2 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:31:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT  moved to  report HB 184,  as amended,  out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSHB  184(CRA)  was                                                               
reported  out  of  the  House   Community  and  Regional  Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee.