ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Housing is not easy to come by for many in Alaska, a reality that was brought up last week by the state House Finance Committee in Juneau.
“Housing for the average Alaskan is unattainable, not only for purchase but for construction due to the cost of everything increasing,” Executive Director of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation Executive Director Bryan Butcher said Thursday., according to Anchorage Economic Development Corporation CEO and President Bill Popp.
This has been attributed to the rise in the cost of building materials, as well as the limited space for expansion, according to Real Estate Brokers of Alaska agent Nick Bruckner. “We’re landlocked between the Chugach Mountains and government-held land with and the Cook Inlet, and so there’s a really limited amount of land and real estate available, which increases the value of the land,” Bruckner said.
While this makes it difficult for first-time buyers to purchase property, there are some options that can make it easier, such as purchasing a multi-family building and renting out the other rooms.
start taxing large homeowners more taxes even house sellers.