With a chill to the air in the mornings there is a sense that fall and winter are just around the corner. As the Chair for the Alaska Council on the Homeless, this time of year emphasizes the challenges ahead for Alaska’s homeless population. Homelessness is an extremely serious problem in all places, but unlike in many other states such as California, to be homes in Alaska in the wintertime can result in death.

This year AHFC received a budget appropriation from the Alaska legislature for $8 million to fund two programs, one of which is the Homeless Assistance Program which received $5.9 million that was distributed to 28 organizations in 13 communities statewide to benefit more than 12,500 homeless individuals and those threatened by homelessness. We work hard with our partners to provide necessary services and tools for communities and individuals in need and have seen a 6.4% (122 people) decrease in homelessness in Alaska and hope to increase that number to ensure all residents have access to shelter.

If you have any questions about the Alaska Council on the Homeless or our Homeless Assistance program, feel free to contact me at bbutcher@ahfc.us.

Bryan Butcher
CEO/Executive Director

Have You Taken the HomeChoice Class but Have More Questions?

It’s time to take AHFC’s new HomeChoice Refresher that revisits topics such as budgeting, credit, mortgage options, maintaining the value of your home and the roles of lenders and real estate licensees.
This free two-hour class is tailor-made for previous participants of AHFC’s popular HomeChoice class who would like to get current knowledge about the home buying process and extend their current HomeChoice certificate for an additional six months.
Next class: September 10, 6pm-8pm 
Seats are limited so register now!

Home improvements and regular maintenance are annual rituals that some of us enjoy and others of us loathe. Whether you get your hands dirty or hire someone to do it for you, the benefits of regular maintenance can save you money by avoiding costly repairs, extending the life of your home, and maximizing your home’s value.

Here is a checklist of maintenance to-dos you still have time to tackle before the days shorten and the thermometer drops:

• Have a professional inspect your heating system
• Clean gutters and downspouts
• Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct
• Fill cracks in concrete or asphalt
• Reseal the deck
• Cut back shrubbery
• Inspect weather-stripping and caulk around windows and doors
• Replace batteries in your smoke and CO detectors, and make sure you have fire extinguishers in easily accessible places
• Take a FREE class about energy improvements from AHFC
• Sign-up for an AHFC energy efficiency program

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) is coordinated with AHFC’s funding partners, that include Mental Health Trust Authority and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

In addition to the Basic Homeless Assistance Program, AHFC awards funding through a competitive application process for homeless assistance activities through the federally funded Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Sponsor-Based Rental Assistance (SRA) Program, and state funded Special Needs Housing Grant (SNHG). These are just some programs available through AHFC’s Public Housing division that assist homeless individuals or those threatened by homelessness.

In 2004, Governor Frank Murkowski established the Alaska Council on the Homeless that was reauthorized in 2007 by Governor Sarah Palin as a policy forum for recommendations about the use of state and federal resources to address homelessness. In 2009, the Council published its 10 Year Plan to End Long Term Homelessness in Alaska. State and federal resources are used to address the goals outlined in the plan. AHFC CEO Bryan Butcher is Chair of the Alaska Council on the Homeless.

Those that are eligible to apply for funding are:
• Units of local government (except the Municipality of Anchorage)
• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations

For more information about the Homeless Assistance Program, please contact Carrie Collins at ccollins@ahfc.us or (907)330-8276.

How do the outdoor homeless survive the winter in America's coldest city? Weather Films, the documentary film unit of the Weather Channel's website sent a crew to find out:

Effective July 1, 2015, AHFC implemented changes to a long standing program that provides viable financing for non-profit sponsors interested in creating their own loan program to enhance homeownership opportunities for low to moderate income Alaskans; those residing in remote communities; and, for those residing in underdeveloped or blighted areas of the state.

Initiated 18 years ago, AHFC’s Loans to Sponsors Program (LTSP) previously offered eligible sponsors zero interest loans to help achieve this goal.  Most sponsors who utilized the program did so by offering down-payment assistance to their borrowers in the form of a second mortgage at a nominal interest rate which in many instances eliminated mortgage insurance requirements. 

As part of a review of all AHFC programs, the following changes were implemented to allow the program to continue into the foreseeable future: 1) establish an interest rate of 1.50 percent for all sponsors; 2) sponsors must begin using the funds within six months of execution, or funding may be suspended;  3) clarified multiple sponsors cannot apply for funding to serve the same program; and, 4) allow for a suspension of funding should delinquency rates exceed 1½ times the overall LTSP average.  AHFC maintained the current maximum fiscal year loan limit of $625,000 for sponsor agencies.
Contact Melanie Smith 330-8469 or msmith@ahfc.us with any questions.