03/03/2025 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

         SB  50-MUNICIPAL COMPREHENSIVE PLANS: HOUSING                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
            [CSSB 50(CRA) was before the committee.]                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:08:07 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN   reconvened  the   meeting  and   announced  the                                                               
consideration  of SENATE  BILL NO.  50  "An Act  relating to  the                                                               
comprehensive plans of first and second class boroughs."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:08:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR speaking as sponsor,  provided a brief summary for                                                               
SB 50 and  stated that SB 50 makes a  small but meaningful change                                                               
to Alaska's local  government planning laws by  adding "a housing                                                               
plan" to the list of  elements in comprehensive plans under Title                                                               
29. He  stated that initially,  his office  thought comprehensive                                                               
plans were  required by  state law, but  the statute  uses "may,"                                                               
not "shall,"  so this  is more a  recommendation than  a mandate,                                                               
still it's symbolically  important. SB 50 is  supported by groups                                                               
like  Housing  Alaskans  Public  Partnership,  UAA's  Center  for                                                               
Economic  Development,  and  Assembly   Member  Anna  Brawley,  a                                                               
planner who helped develop SB 50.  He said this effort stems from                                                               
Alaska's housing crisis that  lacks sufficient attainable housing                                                               
at nearly all income  levels. SB 50 is part of  a broader push to                                                               
encourage housing development statewide.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:10:20 PM                                                                                                                    
HAHLEN  BEHNKEN,  Staff,  Senator Forrest  Dunbar,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided  the sectional analysis for                                                               
SB 50 as follows:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       SECTIONAL ANALYSIS                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
          SB 50: MUNICIPAL COMPREHENSIVE PLANS: HOUSING                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1: AS 29.40.030(a): Adds  a new subsection 5 to                                                                    
     AS 29.40.030(a)  stating that a  housing plan  will now                                                                    
     be  one of  the components  that may  be included  in a                                                                    
     comprehensive plan. Redesignates  the former subsection                                                                    
     5 as subsection 6.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:11:12 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR  stated  that  his  office  spoke  with  Director                                                               
Mueller  and her  team over  the summer,  and while  the division                                                               
plans  a full  Title 29  rewrite in  the coming  years, that's  a                                                               
long-term  effort. Her  office  had no  objection  to his  office                                                               
moving forward  with this smaller  change in the meantime.  SB 50                                                               
doesn't   require    local   governments   to    revise   current                                                               
comprehensive  plans  or  incur  new costs.  Instead,  as  cities                                                               
update  their  planstypically   every   10  yearsthey'll   add  a                                                               
housing  plan  going  forward.  He  stated  that  he  understands                                                               
comprehensive  planning is  a heavy  lift for  local governments,                                                               
which is why this approach is gradual and practical.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:12:18 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN announced invited testimony on SB 50.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:12:34 PM                                                                                                                    
CHRISTOPHER  CONSTANT,  Chair,   Anchorage  Assembly,  Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska, testified by invitation on  SB 50 and stated that housing                                                               
is a crisis affecting homelessness,  youth leaving the state, and                                                               
seniors  seeking suitable  homes. He  said Senator  Sullivan once                                                               
hosted a discussion  with HUD Secretary Marcia  Fudge and housing                                                               
developers highlighting the severe shortage  of new homes and the                                                               
barriers to  building them.  Problems can't  be solved  without a                                                               
plan,  and  SB  50's  "may" language  encourages  communities  to                                                               
include housing  plans without mandating them.  He said Anchorage                                                               
isn't  subject  to  this,  but  solutions  must  work  statewide,                                                               
including  rural areas,  since  people  move across  communities.                                                               
Encouraging thoughtful  housing planning improves the  chances of                                                               
addressing this persistent challenge effectively.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:15:15 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BJORKMAN held SB 50 in committee.