State housing officials say they hope to help between 8,000 and 12,000 households stay in their homes through a lottery for rent or mortgage relief that got underway Monday, June 15.
“We’ve been reluctant to predict the total number that might apply or be eligible, but instead point to Department of Labor unemployment data,” said Stacy Barnes, director of government relations and public affairs for Alaska Housing Finance Corp. “The last stats I saw said that more than 100,000 individuals have applied for unemployment insurance.
“As a clarifying point about those who may not receive the full $1,200, one example might be that their mortgage payment is $1,000,” she said. “As we’ve structured the program, AHFC will not pay in excess of the $1,000 mortgage payment. That’s why there’s the wide range in possible households served.”
The application period runs from June 15 through June 26. By noon of June 15 over 550 Alaskans had competed their applications and more were coming in at the rate of 100 an hour, Barnes said.
The program is funded with $10 million authorized by the Legislature for AHFC to use for homelessness prevention.
Details and applications are online at AlaskaHousingRelief.org.
