Today, Anchorage Assembly Members Felix Rivera and Anna Brawley published the Community Housing Action Summit detailed agenda. The Summit is tomorrow, November 3, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the UAA Student Union, 2901 Spirit Way, Anchorage, AK 99508.
The Summit will feature a new ACDA report on incentives for market-rate housing, welcome special keynote speaker Charles Marohn of Strong Towns, and solicit community feedback on the Assembly’s draft Housing Strategic Plan.
The Summit is the culmination of Housing Action Week (HAW), a community-wide initiative to explore and transform housing policy, with events and programs that examine Anchorage’s housing experiences, beliefs, and vision for the future. Friday’s all-day Summit will help shape policies promoting abundant and diverse housing opportunities with actions to engage change. The Assembly strongly encourages the community to attend and participate in transforming local housing policy.
“Anchorage’s housing shortage is bigger than the Assembly, which means community engagement at the Summit is critical,” said Felix Rivera, Housing and Homelessness Committee Chair. “We invite every resident to join the conversation and help decide which of the many policy levers we’ll need to pull to create a landscape where housing becomes abundant, diverse, and benefits everyone."
The detailed agenda includes the following:- 9 a.m. – Opening Reception
- 9:30 a.m. – Welcome and Introductions
- 9:45 a.m. – Anchorage’s housing shortage is an everyone problem!
- Local experts share insights from new data behind Anchorage's housing shortage, with presentations by Nolan Klouda, UAA Center for Economic Development, and Mike Robbins, Anchorage Community Development Authority
- 10:30 a.m. – Housing & Homelessness at UAA
- A major pipeline in local workforce development, learn how UAA students experience housing and homelessness while working towards aspirations in the fields we need most. Presentation by Travis Hedwig and Kathi Trawver, UAA Hunger & Homelessness Support Network
- 11 a.m. – What’s happening to solve the problem?
- Three-minute rapid-fire presentations about parking minimums, hotel-to-housing conversions, ADUs, three- and four-plexes, and infrastructure.
- 11:45 a.m. – Introducing Anchorage’s draft Housing Strategic Plan.
- Presentation by Assemblymembers Felix Rivera and Anna Brawley
- Noon – lunch (provided)
- 12:15 p.m. – Keynote presentation by Charles Marohn of Strong Towns
- Strong Towns is a non-profit advocate for financially strong and resilient cities that are safe, livable, and inviting for everyone.
- 1:15 p.m. – Break
- 1:20 p.m. – Draft Housing Strategic Plan deep dive (includes breakout sessions)
- 1:30 p.m. – Breakout groups
- Making Middle Housing Work in Your Community (presented by AARP)
- Act on Housing: Breaking Barriers to Development
- Act on Housing: Investing in Ourselves
- 3:10 p.m. – Breakout groups report out
- 3:30 p.m. – Closing
- Commitment to action, results, and working together to make change
More information about HAW may be found at anchoragehousingaction.org. Stay engaged with the Assembly’s housing initiatives by subscribing to email updates at http://eepurl.com/hTOyEv.
###
Contact
Assembly Legislative Services, wwmasls@anchorageak.gov