Alaska Housing Rent Relief Second Distribution Successfully Underway Statewide

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation continues to lead the nation in timely, efficient fund processing.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Oct. 26, 2021 – Alaska Housing Finance Corporation closed its most recent Alaska Housing Rent Relief window Oct. 1, 2021. Distribution of federal emergency relief funds is already underway. The program, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, offers protection for eligible renters/tenants in danger of eviction by providing up to three months of rent relief payments to qualifying landlords and utility companies.

“Our primary goal, working with our trusted statewide partners, has remained constant throughout the pandemic: provide safe, secure and stable housing to vulnerable renters while supporting the financial solvency of their landlords,” says Bryan Butcher, CEO/executive director of AHFC.

Applications for Alaska Housing Rent Relief were accepted from renters meeting federal eligibility requirements, including financial hardship or job loss as a result of the pandemic. Efficient and confidential, the process included upfront automation and an online eligibility checker that significantly streamlined the application process. Payments are made directly to landlords and/or utility companies but renters had to apply to the program.

An experienced team of Alaska Housing Rent Relief specialists are hard at work, quickly processing applications. At the close of Oct. 1, 2021:

• 10,448 applications were submitted for rent and / or utility relief
• 1,796 of the applicants were over 50% Area Median Income
• 6,213 of the applicants were under 30% AMI

Applicants can check their application status at: https://www.alaskahousingrelief.org/renters/check_status

Approximately 1,500 applications from the acceptance of applications in early 2021 also applied in October, and are being processed. Households may not receive overlapping assistance.

A summer 2020 Wall Street Journal report identified the State of Alaska, through Alaska Housing Rent Relief, leading the country in distribution of emergency rental assistance funds. Today’s article in Politico, “Less than a quarter of eviction aid disbursed, Treasury says,”  shows that many states continue to struggle with distribution of the initial emergency relief allocation and U.S. Treasury is providing guidance about how funds may be reallocated.

In Alaska, AHFC and its rural housing tribal partners took a proactive approach to define the best path forward with receipt and distribution of emergency funding, paying particular attention to address Alaska’s unique and vast geography, and further relying on partnerships with the nonprofit homeless prevention community. This approach allowed AHFC and its partners to respond to receipt of the federal funding, an effort that continues to prove successful, efficient and nimble.

Alaska Housing Rent Relief has continued to expand, leveraging technology and automation to improve efficiencies of the application, review and allocate funding. The success of these efforts is reflected in the speed at which applications are being reviewed and funding is distributed – all within the most recent October application window.

“Providing critical resources to landlords and tenants statewide, in conjunction with statewide nonprofit agencies and tribal partners, has proven to be foundational for shaping the highly successful program,” added Butcher.

For the most current information regarding Alaska Housing Rent Relief, visit AlaskaHousingRelief.org or ahfc.us.

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September/October 2021 Application Period FAQs

What did Alaska Housing Rent Relief cover?

• Eligible renters who met the minimum federal requirements received up to three months of rent and/or utility assistance paid directly to landlords and utility companies

Who was eligible to apply?

Renter households who earn less than 80% of Area Median Income and

• Alaskans struggling to pay rent and/or utilities
• Alaskans living in an overcrowded or unsafe situation, such as risk of domestic violence or sexual abuse
• Unemployed Alaskans and those otherwise struggling to keep up financially
• Alaskans at risk of eviction.

Households receiving prior Alaska Housing Rent Relief were not eligible for overlapping assistance.

Alaska Housing Rent Relief Program Milestones:

Applications were accepted for Alaska Housing Rent Relief in ­­­­­February and March 2021. U.S. Treasury requires tenants to certify their continued hardship every 90 days before AHFC issues follow-up payment.

Applications for three months of rent and utility relief were accepted in September and October 2021. AHFC’s Alaska Housing Rent Relief program has already distributed more than $476,000 in federal funding to 131 landlords and utility companies.

To date, more than $156 million in federal emergency rent assistance has been distributed.

Alaska Housing Rent Relief Resources:

Progress reports are logged every Friday and are accessible to the public at: https://www.ahfc.us/newsroom/alaska-housing-rent-relief-weekly-program-update

Applicants can check their application status at: https://www.alaskahousingrelief.org/renters/check_status

Additional information related to AHFC’s Alaska Housing Rent Relief program can be found at: https://www.alaskahousingrelief.org/

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Alaska Housing Finance Corporation is a public corporation providing Alaskans access to safe, quality and affordable housing through residential financing, energy efficiency, public housing and more. Since 1986, Alaska Housing has contributed more than $2.1 billion to the State of Alaska.