On Friday, April 7, 2023, the Anchorage Assembly held a worksession to tour the Lakeshore Inn, a former hotel recently converted to extremely low-income housing. The Lakeshore Inn, which opened to tenants this week, is one of several hotel-to-housing conversions that will add hundreds of units of low-income and supportive housing to Anchorage's limited housing stock this year.
“We know that housing is the solution to homelessness," said Assembly Member Felix Rivera, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing & Homelessness. “Just this spring, a disabled veteran who had been experiencing unsheltered homelessness for almost 20 years, living in a tent and going to shelter occasionally, was recently housed in a hotel conversion. He now has income, paid his own security deposit and had agency support with his first month's rent so he could use his remaining income on supplies to set up his new home. Housing creates a foundation for our most vulnerable to overcome other barriers and issues in their life. That's why I'm so excited to see many of these units come online at a time when we are closing the Sullivan Arena as an emergency shelter and ensure we are living up to our commitment as a Housing First Municipality."
“The Lakeshore Inn is now providing safe, affordable housing opportunities for Anchorage residents and making a direct impact on the affordable housing crisis our community has faced for years," said Jason Bockenstedt, Executive Director of the Anchorage Affordable Housing and Land Trust. “This project has been a longtime coming and I want to personally thank the Anchorage Assembly for their foresight to see this project through to fruition, our partners in the non-profit and private sectors, and the stakeholder groups who continued to work to get us here. While there is still much more work ahead to bring more affordable housing to our Municipality, The Lakeshore Inn was a significant step in the right direction."
Since 2020, the Anchorage Assembly has supported hotel conversion projects by public and private partners, including:
Former GuestHouse Inn
Purchased in fall 2022, the former GuestHouse Inn now provides more than 130 units of low-income workforce and supportive housing in District 1 North Anchorage. The Assembly appropriated $3.4M from 2022 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal relief dollars through AR 2022-222, which contributed to the $7.7M purchase. The project came to fruition by the work of public, private and nonprofit partners, including the Rasmuson Foundation and First Presbyterian Church. The facility is now managed by MASH, LLC.
Former Barratt Inn
One of two hotels in District 3 West Anchorage purchased for $5.5M with ARPA funds via 2022-178(S), the Barratt Inn will open in fall 2023, adding 96 units of housing to Anchorage's low-income housing stock.
Former Lakeshore Inn
The Lakeshore Inn is the second of two hotels in District 3 West Anchorage purchased using ARPA federal relief dollars, appropriated by 2022-178(S). Purchased for $3.8M, the Lakeshore opened 45 units of low-income housing this week and will be managed by MASH, LLC.
Former Golden Lion Hotel
Purchased through the 2021 sale of Municipal Light & Power, the former Golden Lion Hotel is currently undergoing work to meet life and safety requirements with the aim to open 85 units of supportive housing this year.
At the March 21 Regular Assembly Meeting, the Assembly approved AO 2023-30 to exempt existing buildings from residential design standards. The ordinance reduces the cost and time needed to convert hotels and motels into facilities suitable for housing, exempting future projects from the review process necessary to waive design standards on a case-by-case basis.
“We know one thing to be true: housing is the solution to homelessness," said Assembly Member Christopher Constant, Vice Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing & Homelessness. “After years of investment, we know what works. Hotel conversions are the most cost-effective and time-sensitive solution to provide housing first. Now that we've cut red tape to make hotel conversions more affordable and this season's emergency sheltering plan is coming to a close, I hope to see more and more projects like the Lakeshore conversion come to the table."
At the April 11 Regular Assembly Meeting, the Anchorage Assembly approved AR 2023-127 to adopt a demobilization plan for emergency shelter provided by the Municipality during the 2022-2023 winter season. The resolution establishes the closure of the Sullivan Arena as an emergency shelter no later than April 30, 2023.
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CONTACT
Felix
Rivera | District 4, Midtown
felix.rivera@anchorageak.gov
Christopher Constant | District
1, North Anchorage
christopher.constant@anchorageak.gov
Jason Bockenstedt | Anchorage
Affordable Housing & Land Trust