Strong turnout for Anchorage families requesting housing assistance from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
Anchorage, AL – November 12, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s (AHFC) Public Housing Division closed its Housing Choice Voucher Program waiting list in Anchorage to individuals and families needing financial assistance with housing on Oct. 31, 2012. AHFC received 950 applications from its website and 820 applications by mail.
“AHFC is pleased with the response from all who entered the lottery. We spread the message to those in need with help from social service agencies, traditional and non-traditional media. The response indicates that in spite of AHFC’s efforts to build or fund 409 new housing units in Anchorage in the past year, needs for affordable housing still exists in our community,” says Dan Fauske, CEO/Executive Director.
Following collection of all applications, lottery numbers will be assigned by a computerized, randomized process. Individuals will be notified by postmarked mail by Dec. 1, 2012 of their unique lottery number. Numbers represent the order that applicants are expected to receive assistance.
The lottery system is based on nationwide best practices but is new to AHFC. “The benefit,” says Cathy Stone, director of public housing “is that applicants can now better predict the wait-time before getting their voucher, and this allows people to make important choices about their future. Under the old system, people were on the waiting list for several years before receiving a voucher. Now we don’t expect the wait time to be more than a year and a half.”
Participants in the program find their own rental housing and pay 30 percent of their adjusted income in rent. The remainder of the rental amount is paid by AHFC directly to the landlord.
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) is a public corporation with a long history of providing Alaskans access to safe, quality and affordable housing through home financing programs, energy efficiency and weatherization programs, public housing and more. Since 1986, AHFC has contributed $1.9 billion to the State of Alaska’s General Fund.
Contact:
Stacy Schubert
AHFC Government Relations & Public Affairs Director
(907) 301-4556
sschubert (at) ahfc (dot) us
