Assembly Lays Foundation for Housing Action at August 22 Meeting

During the August 22 Regular Assembly Meeting, the Anchorage Assembly took up several items focused on revitalizing Anchorage's housing inventory so that everyone who wants to make Anchorage home can.

Resolution Establishes Housing Policy Priorities
The Assembly unanimously approved AR 2023-260(S), a resolution adopting policy principals to guide work underway to increase the local housing stock and create more diverse, affordable opportunities for home ownership. The resolution establishes that the Municipality will work to enact policies that achieve the following outcomes:

• Increase the supply of housing for sale.
• Increase the supply of rental housing.
• Increase the proportion of resident-occupied housing.
• Reduce housing cost burdens on residents.

Building on work currently underway, the resolution also establishes that the Anchorage Assembly will present a housing policy strategic plan to the public at the Community Housing Action Summit, happening this fall. Event details will be announced soon.

Proposal to Consolidate Residential Zones into a Single Zone Postponed Indefinitely
The Assembly voted unanimously to postpone AO 2023-66(S) indefinitely.

HOME Initiative Introduced for September 26 Public Hearing
Following robust public dialogue surrounding AO 2023-66, Assembly Members Anna Brawley, Daniel Volland and Meg Zaletel developed a new proposal, which they laid on the table during the meeting: Housing Opportunities in the Municipality for Everyone (HOME) Initiative.

The new ordinance proposes establishing five residential zones in the Anchorage bowl, as identified in the Anchorage 2040 Land Use Plan (LUP) :

• LLR – Large Lot Residential​
  
• STFR – Single Family and Two-Family Residential
• Compact Mixed Residential – Low
• Compact Mixed Residential – Medium
• Urban Residential – High

The proposal excludes Girdwood and Chugiak/Eagle River, communities whose land use is not determined by the 2040 LUP.

The HOME Initiative is scheduled for public hearing at the Regular Assembly Meeting on September 26, 2023. You are invited to share input on this change:

• Provide testimony during the meeting at the Loussac Library Assembly Chambers
• Sign up to provide testimony during the meeting by phone: ancgov.info/testify 
• Provide written testimony: ancgov.info/testify
• Email the Mayor and all Assembly Members:
• mayor@muni.org
• wwmas@anchorageak.gov

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