Description

The Anchorage Assembly passed AR 2023-302 at its September 12 Regular Meeting, designating October 30 – November 4, 2023, as “Anchorage Housing Action Week.” The week-long initiative aims to open a public dialogue on housing policy with events and programs that explore Anchorage’s housing experiences, beliefs, and vision for the future.

“Anchorage is experiencing a housing crisis, and that’s a problem for those housed and unhoused who call this place home,” said Assembly Member Felix Rivera, who chairs the Housing & Homelessness Committee. “‘Housing Action Week’ is one piece of our work to spur the creation of abundant, diverse housing opportunities for everyone who wants to live here, but the Assembly can’t do this alone. A collaborative community response is vital to solving the local housing shortage. We can overcome these challenges by leveraging our resources, engaging in the work, and coming together on solutions.”

The Assembly invites the community to participate in events and programs during Housing Action Week, culminating in a Community Housing Action Summit on Friday, November 3, 2023, which will help shape policies promoting abundant and diverse housing opportunities with actions to engage change. The final Anchorage Housing Action Week schedule is coming in early October.

Call for Programs

The Anchorage Assembly welcomes all community organizations, leaders, and residents to join in the work to solve Anchorage’s housing crisis. As such, the Assembly issued a Call for Programs for groups and individuals interested in hosting housing-related programs and events during “Anchorage Housing Action Week.” Programming may focus on but is not limited to the following topics:

• Growing Up, Not Out Exploring the unique opportunities for future growth presented by Anchorage's environment, resources, and role as Alaska's largest urban center. 
• Barriers to Building Housing Dissecting the local laws, market characteristics, and lived experiences that work against dreams for building housing units - new and reimagined.
• Innovation in the Last Frontier Imagining what housing and urban development could look like with Alaskan ingenuity behind it.
• How Did We Get Here? Articulating where we are and reflecting on the history of Anchorage development, code reform, and the voices and personalities that have shaped the landscape of our community - literally and figuratively.

Those interested should submit applications at ancgov.info/HAW-callforprograms by 11:45 p.m. on September 30, 2023.

To get updates about Anchorage Housing Action Week 2023, subscribe to email updates from the Anchorage Assembly at http://eepurl.com/hTOyEv