New Start Voucher

The New Start Voucher (NSV) Program is a referral-based, rental assistance program designed to meet the housing needs of families approaching the end of assistance on the stabilization and Recovery Program.

How Do I Know If I'm Eligible?

If your family income is at or below 50 percent of the area median income during the intake screening.

How Do I Know If Housing Is Available In My Area?

This program is available in the following AHFC Voucher Program communities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Petersburg, Sitka, Soldotna, Valdez, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and Wrangell. 

How Do I Apply?

The waiting list for the New Start Voucher Program opened on October 2, 2023 and closed on November 1, 2023. All applicants were prioritized for assistance based on the length of time remaining on the Housing Stabilization and Recovery Program; families with the least amount of time remaining are prioritized first.

Complete Your Application For Other AHFC Assistance

There are 400 New Start vouchers available for households participating in the Housing Stabilization and Recovery Program and not every Stabilization participant may receive a New Start Voucher. Stabilization participants are encouraged to apply to their local community waitlist. 

  • Click here to apply for AHFC’s open waiting lists.  
  • If you believe you are already on a local waitlist, contact the program location.

Once we receive and review your application, you will be placed on a waiting list for the relevant program(s).

Attend an Information Session & Learn About the Program

When a New Start voucher becomes available, you'll need to answer some follow-up questions to confirm that you qualify under HUD subsidy guidelines. This is a standard part of the intake process for anyone applying for a voucher or public housing. You will be asked about your income, citizenship, birth date, and other general information. You will also attend a briefing session that provides detailed information about the relevant program.

Receive Your Voucher 

When you receive the voucher, you can lease in place or look for housing that works best for your family, such as close to your children's school, near your job, or on a bus route. You can choose where you want to live as long as the rental property meets program guidelines. For example, the rental amount for the unit must be reasonable; the unit must pass a federal housing quality standards inspection; landlords may use their own lease but Alaska Housing requires an initial lease term of one year.

How Will I Pay For My Housing?

If your family receives a housing voucher, once you find and lease an Alaska Housing-approved rental unit, you are responsible for paying your portion of the monthly rent directly to your landlord, and Alaska Housing pays the subsidy portion directly to the landlord.

How Long Will My Housing Last?

Families receiving a New Start voucher will qualify for the Step Program or Classic Program. Your housing placement continues for as long as you qualify for one of these programs.  

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. If issued a New Start Voucher, can I stay in my current rental?

    Yes. When a household receives their voucher, they may use it to rent a unit that meets the following criteria:
    • The landlord must agree to participate in the voucher program. 
    • AHFC will evaluate the monthly rent established by the landlord to determine if it is reasonable. 
    • AHFC will conduct an inspection of the unit to ensure it meets federal housing standards. If the household’s current unit meets these criteria, they would be eligible to utilize their voucher for their current unit.
  2. How can their landlord prepare for this transition? 
  3. Can a client port (move) this voucher outside of Alaska?

    The New Start vouchers do not have portability outside of Alaska. 
     
  4. What can I expect once my Navigator does the referral?
  • Once selected from the waitlist, you will receive correspondence from AHFC to complete an intake workflow through the RENTCafé online system
  • AHFC will screen families and assign the assistance group: Classic or Step.
    • Classic Program: All adult family members are at least 62 years of age or a person with a disability. These families may include minors, dependent full-time students under the age of 24, and persons residing with the family as live-in aides.
    • Step Program: All families that do not meet the Classic Program definition are placed in this category. These are families that contain a work-able adult.
  • Clients will complete an online class to learn about the voucher
    • Upon completion of the class, the client will be sent a Voucher to sign
    • The fully executed Voucher and the Leasing Packet will be uploaded to the client’s RENTCafé account
    • The Leasing Packet is filled out with the landlord to prompt an inspection. Upon successful inspection, assistance will begin