Inside this Home Delivery:

1. Letter from CEO/Exec. Director, Bryan Butcher: Responding to COVID-19 
2. In the News: AHFC Staff Contacts
3. Homeless Funding Fast-Tracked 
4. FinallyHome! Homebuyer Education Class
5. Betty's Energy Corner
6. Collaboration Leads to more Teacher, Health Professional and Public         Safety Housing in Five Alaskan Communities
7. Current News and Resources
8. Home Show Sneak Peek
9. Featured Video: Appreciation Event for Partners
10. Lender of the Week: Jeff Stanford 
 

Letter from Bryan Butcher: Responding to COVID-19

The spread of (COVID-19) coronavirus underscores the importance of us delivering on our mission to “provide Alaskans access to safe, quality and affordable housing.”

I’m grateful for the partnership we share with you, whether you work in homeless prevention and treatment programs, as one of our landlords, an underwriter, at a government agency, as an Alaskan who trusts us as the investor in your loan, or as one of our employees.

Health and well-being of our tenants, partners and employees is always our priority, and we are actively responding to the people we serve, where they live. More than 12,000 Alaskans sleep in public housing every night and thousands more have home loans where AHFC is the investor.

State leaders are increasingly discussing the economic situation, including how those who were living on the margin are being impacted. Late last week our congressional delegation voted unanimously in favor of the federal CARES bill that among other provisions provides short-term relief from foreclosure. The state legislature followed suit with Senate Bill 241, temporarily prohibiting certain foreclosures and evictions from rentals due to financial hardship.

My message to you is simple. While we follow and encourage adherence to CDC and DHSS guidelines, we take the COVID-19 public health crisis seriously. Our staff in public housing is vigilant about extra cleaning and sanitization measures, and residents have been asked to minimize person-to-person contact. Our staff across the state is responding to the public by email or telephone. We are balancing day-to-day needs of our clients with best practices to protect our communities.

The State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services remains the best way to stay informed about health practices and community updates. Visit coronavirus.alaska.gov, and rely on 2-1-1 for community resources.

I wish you and your family good health. Now’s the time for us all to be neighborly from a distance. Check in on loved ones and call your mom.

Bryan Butcher
CEO/Executive Director

Homeless Funding Fast-Tracked

On March 16, 2020 Governor Dunleavy signed HB 206 that included Homeless Assistance Program funding. Two days later, Alaska Housing’s Planning department sent grant agreements totaling $7.2 million to 35 nonprofit providers in 13 communities that provide emergency or transitional housing and/or services to prevent homelessness or rehouse those who have been displaced.

Homeless Assistance funds are usually distributed in June but due to early passage of the budget bill and forecast impact of financial hardship on Alaskans due to COVID-19 that would stress agencies ability to provide services, the Planning department responded with unprecedented speed.

“These organizations are serving Alaskans when they’re most vulnerable,” says Bryan Butcher CEO/Executive Director of AHFC. “Many people don’t know that  21% of families served through our programs in 2018 and 2019 were those with children younger than 18. Almost 13% of families served were victims of domestic violence. Getting funding to agencies at this stressful time in our state’s history is monumental,” said Butcher.

The Homeless Assistance Program is often used along with the Special Needs Housing Grant program and is supported by a long-time collaboration with Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

FinallyHome! Online Class

The in-person homebuyer education class, HomeChoice, is canceled for the foreseeable future but prospective buyers have an alternative that’s perfect for home study Finally Home!  is a free online course.

The online class has been around for a year. Since its inception last March 600 Alaskans have taken the class at their own tempo and leisure.

“We’re really happy with the numbers so far. With more and more people using the internet to educate themselves, Finally Home! provides an option for today’s consumers. It also gives us an opportunity to better serve rural areas,” says Jan Miyagishima, AHFCs mortgage director.

Access course here.  

Collaboration Leads to more Teacher, Health Professional and Public Safety Housing in Five Alaskan 

“Housing is the most basic need in communities across the state. In rural Alaska, overcrowding due to insufficient or a void of housing detrimentally impacts families. Those families are further challenged when communities struggle to recruit and retain key professionals like teachers, public safety officers and nurses," said Bryan Butcher, Alaska Housing CEO/executive director.

Twenty-eight rental units across five rural communities in Alaska will be constructed or rehabilitated for teachers, medical personnel, and public safety officers to help the limited housing options thanks to 2020 grants from Alaska Housing totaling $2.17 million and $500,000 from Denali Commission. The economic impact to the state is expected to be more than $10.3 million.

A competitive scoring process rewards community collaboration, economic efficiency, and inclusion of affordable energy sources. Grants for 2020 will go to the communities of Kivalina, Nome, Brevig Mission, Shaktoolik and Nulato.

Read Full Press Release Here

Betty's Energy Corner: Long-time AHFC staff honored with national accolades

Congratulations to AHFC’s Weatherization Program Manager Mimi Burbage! Mimi was recently awarded the Jean Diggs Award for weatherization advocacy from National Association of State Community Services Program at their conference in Washington DC. Burbage was nominated by the Energy Outwest board of directors for 40 years advocating for weatherization, and she was further recognized by conference speaker U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski.

Burbage has been involved in weatherization starting in 1978, before it was even a “thing”.

According to Burbage, those around in the early days learned a lot about  building science grassroots with trial and error. In the ‘80s, they refined the science and became more accountable though diagnostics with introduction of the blower door and other tools.

Congratulations, Mimi Burbage! Thank you for your years of hard work, dedication and tireless advocacy for weatherization nationwide, and especially in Alaska.

Submitted by Betty Hall, Energy Information Specialist 

 Current News and Resources

• Have questions about your mortgage? Your servicer is the best place to go to get answers. Click here for a list of AHFC’s approved lenders. 
   
• Wondering what’s happening in public housing? Landlords will continue to receive their monthly Housing Assistance Payments, and just this week $2.9 million was distributed to more than 4,000 statewide. Residents won’t lose their housing as a result of financial hardship caused by COVID-19 but should reach out and provide updates to their case managers. 
   
• The Landlord & Tenant Act provides protection for both. Familiarize yourself with the Act here. http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/civil/consumer/landlord-tenant.html
   
• Do you follow AHFC on social media? Community information and resources are available at at our Facebook page. 
   
• Questions for AHFC? Contact us here. https://www.ahfc.us/contact-us