Two Generations of Partnership with Alaska Housing

For Grant Boles, providing housing to Ketchikan residents is a family business. His parents were property managers in the community for decades and he says he learned about managing rental units from watching them – including their partnership with Alaska Housing.

Grant spent his college years in Los Angeles but decided to move home and assist his mom with the family business after his father passed away ten years ago. Not only did he want to be there to support his mom, it was also important to him to contribute to his hometown.

“I really do love Ketchikan and want to see the community do well,” he said.

Grant began purchasing property in 2021 and now has 13 rental units, as well as the units he operates with his mom. He oversees 80 rentals in total. He says accepting housing vouchers has been part of his business practice from the start.

“About ten percent of our renters utilize Alaska Housing vouchers,” Grant estimated. “When I began to rent out my own properties, it felt natural to accept housing vouchers because of the positive experiences I had over the last decade accepting vouchers through my mom’s company.”

In addition to AHFC vouchers providing regular, guaranteed income, Grant has come to see local AHFC employees as partners.

“The vouchers add some peace of mind,” he said. “It’s also nice having biennial inspections. It can be helpful to have a partner to help enforce maintenance standards.”

Contributing to His Tenant’s Success

While he doesn’t treat voucher holders differently than other tenants, Grant says it feels rewarding to play a part in offering a nice home to somebody in need of assistance.

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“I’ve never met somebody who has never needed help in their life. Sometimes, the tenants who utilize vouchers are retired from a job that didn’t provide a pension, or they were a housewife and widowed. Vouchers help them to continue to be independent and have a home of their own while reducing what they pay in rent.” - Grant, Ketchikan Landlord

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Occasionally, Grant sees how his partnership with Alaska Housing can help a tenant drastically change their life.

“I had one tenant who was able to rent her own apartment for the first time with the help of a housing voucher and get her kids out of a bad situation. She purchased her own car and was able to drive herself to work. Being able to rent an apartment was the first step she needed to take in order to build that life.”

After a decade of accepting housing vouchers, Grant says he would encourage other landlords to utilize the resource.

“Just because someone receives rental assistance doesn’t make them any different from other tenants. Don’t write off a percentage of renters based on misconceptions.”

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If you’re a landlord, we invite you to learn more about AHFC’s Housing Choice Vouchers. Find out how the voucher program can benefit you while providing Alaskans with safe, quality, affordable housing.