Housing Challenges in the Last Frontier.

• Position: ALASKA TRENDS

To summarize changes between 2014 and 2018, challenges for housing continue:

* Overcrowding impacts rural Alaska, with more than half of all households in some areas overcrowded.

* The statewide percentage of overcrowded homes is twice the national average.

* Nearly 79,000 households spend more than 30 percent of their income on costs related to housing.

* Approximately 14,600 housing units are energy inefficient, burdening residents with high costs. Significant progress has been made thanks to state investment in the weatherization and home energy rebate programs that improved 5,210 housing units.

Housing Condition Needs

A national report on housing needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives found that of all tribal areas, Alaska had the worst physical housing condition problems, with 36 percent of units surveyed having some type of physical problem.

Rural Alaska faces significant housing challenges. While statewide an estimated 3.5 percent of housing units lack a complete kitchen and 4.4 percent lack indoor plumbing, in rural regions of Calista and Bering Straits 25.9 percent and 16.3 percent of housing units lack a complete kitchen, and 34.2 percent and 20.9 percent of housing units lack indoor plumbing, respectively.

As shown to the right, the number of homes lacking a complete kitchen and plumbing is significant; statewide 12,635 homes lack one or both of these facilites.

Lack complete plumbing -3,889 Occupied with complete facilities 239,043 Lack complete kitchen AND plumbing 7,105 Lack complete kitchen 1,641 Note: Table made from pie chart. Alaska Housing Needs--Key Facts

16,107

units need to be built to alleviate overcrowding in the state

12,635

homes in Alaska lack complete kitchens and/or plumbing

$23.25

household hourly wage required to afford the average 2-bedroom rental in Alaska

55%

of homes in Alaska are at higher risk for moisture and indoor air quality issues

14,600

homes are rated 1-star, burdening households with high energy costs

318

new senior living facility beds need to be added annually to keep up with senior population growth

15,972

estimated shortage of affordable and available housing units for extremely low income housholds

11%

increase in new construction rate needed to meet projected population growth

78,959

households in...