Helping Alaskans Stay Safely Housed

Erik, risk management specialist II, recently reached the milestone of five years working at Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. He says that for him, this job is different from other roles he has held because of the team mission and culture.

Erik first learned about AHFC when he was working as a property manager in Anchorage. He says one of his tenants was utilizing an AHFC voucher and on move-in day he got into a conversation with an AHFC staff member there to do an inspection. 

“They told me that the AHFC team is like a family and I learned about the benefits. They jokingly asked if I’d ever think about taking a job there – I was actually interested.”

Erik was already familiar with some of AHFC’s resources, like housing vouchers, from a property management perspective. After joining AHFC as an inspector and case worker at the Anchorage Family Investment Center, he says he came to see the work in a whole new light. 

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“To me, AHFC’s mission means helping those who can't help themselves. There are people who are down on their luck and really don't have anywhere to turn. Being that agency that can be there and alleviate one of their struggles – it feels good. I take that very personally.” 

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Different Department, Same Mission

Erik worked in AHFC’s public housing team for three and a half years and performed nearly 3,500 property inspections. When a job opened in AHFC’s Risk Management department, Erik’s extensive experience in property inspections made him a natural candidate. About a year ago, Erik made the switch to a role working behind the scenes to keep Alaskans safe.

Erik now supports grantees who are developing new housing, ensuring that their insurance is lined up correctly. The Risk team also handles incident reports and inspections at AHFC offices and properties around Alaska – giving Erik the opportunity to travel the state and get to know the AHFC team outside of Anchorage. 

These inspections are a crucial component to AHFC’s mission of providing Alaskans access to safe, quality, affordable housing – with an emphasis on “safe” and “quality.”  The quality checks inspectors perform include fire codes, electrical codes, tripping hazards and the detailed checks required for NSPIRE inspection protocols issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It’s all done with the purpose of keeping residents and staff safe. 

“If something could be dangerous, we take care of it before it turns into a problem,” Erik says.

Despite working behind the scenes, Erik sees how his work still makes a direct difference for Alaskans. 

“Whether I’m putting together an AED/first aid/CPR class, performing a property inspection or helping out with a training for the Public Housing team, my hands are directly involved in helping those that are helping those. While I might not be working directly with voucher holders and seeing the difference that resource makes for families, I know I’m helping to make that impact possible. I end each day knowing that I helped somebody.”

What has he learned in his five years at AHFC, working across departments?

“We're all one team, all working together for the same purpose of getting Alaskans housed and helping them stay housed. The work speaks for itself.”