COVID-19 Response - Overall Program

- Caring for Our Community -

Congressional support for the COVID Relief and Response Act and President Trump’s signature on the bill at the end of 2020 led to a $200 million allocation for emergency rental assistance in Alaska. Anticipating the significant effort that would be required to successfully initiate and facilitate a substantive system of distribution for financial relief in the midst of a pandemic, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation got to work on its strategy just two days after Christmas with two main goals: 

  1. Streamline applicant procedures thus removing roadblocks for renters and landlords

  2. Leverage technology adding speed and efficiency to the approval process to get payment out quickly to those most in need

 

“AHFC was instrumental in these coordinated efforts coming together quickly and with a focus on creating an end user experience that would keep applicants informed and empowered.” 

- Carol Gore, President, CEO Cook Inlet Housing Authority


  • Roughly 1/3rd of the 90,000+ rental units in Alaska applied to the program

  • Applications represent 78,076 people – 10.67 percent of the state’s population  

  • Alaska Native / American Indian applications exceeded 28 percent of the total responses

  • At the close of June 2021, 2,931 applicants received their first payment totaling $12,094,581.94 and spanning 13 tribal organizations

Alaska Housing Rent Relief Timeline & Milestones

  • Congress allocates $242 million in Emergency Rent Relief to the State of Alaska for distribution via AHFC

  • Dec. 21, 2020: COVID Relief and Response Act passed by United States House and Senate

  • Dec. 27, 2020: COVID Relief and Response Act signed into law by President Trump

  • Jan. 18, 2021: Governor Dunleavy transmits, and Alaska’s Legislative Budget & Audit Committee authorizes AHFC to spend up to $200 million in federal funds for emergency rental assistance

  • Feb. 16 - March 5, 2021: Alaska is among the first states to accept applications for emergency rental assistance; More than 30,000 renters apply by deadline

    • More than 10 percent of the population and 1/3 of the state’s rental units were represented in submitted applications

  • April 1, 2021: 27,000 income verifications confirmed (24,000 applicants validated as income eligible)

  • June 30, 2021: Processed and paid 13,690 applications representing 35,053 Alaskan residents, and totaling $61,048,270.21 in Alaska Housing Rent Relief

    • Built AlaskaHousingRelief.org providing timely, credible information about COVID-19 resources to Alaska renters, homeowners and landlords

    • Online Eligibility Checker dramatically reduced initial application review time

    • Deployed automation technology that significantly reduced application processing time

    • Robust system checks protect against potential fraud

    • Launched a weekly online program update and dashboard with pandemic-related housing resources AlaskaHousingRelief.org

    • Hired 134 Alaskans across the state as Rent Relief Specialists assisting applicants and processing payments

    • Alaskans with an AHFC mortgage were eligible for forbearance

    • All late rent fees for public housing residents were suspended

    • Safety Net provided added financial security for families living in public housing or with a housing voucher

    • Awarded 194 Emergency Housing Vouchers with $2.5 million from HUD to assist individuals with a high risk of housing instability

    • $289 million in federal U.S. Treasury funding for rental and utility assistance, Alaska Housing Rent Relief Assistance Program

    • $67 million in interagency funding from various communities, including the Municipality of Anchorage and tribes