Alaska renters can soon apply for up to 12 months of pandemic financial help

Alaska renters can soon apply for up to 12 months of rent and utility assistance as millions in federal pandemic relief money becomes available.

The Municipality of Anchorage, Cook Inlet Housing Authority and Alaska Housing Finance Corp. separately received a total of more than $200 million in federal relief money for rental assistance. Together they’re working to create one streamlined application process for renters who need help, according to an announcement from the municipality.

The program, Alaska Housing Rent Relief, offers up to 12 months of financial assistance to pay rent and/or utilities, and the assistance can be extended for an additional three months.

The entities “recognized the possibility of creating significant confusion among residents” if each created a separate application process, and instead partnered to provide a single access point, according to the municipality’s announcement.

Renters can preregister for notifications or check eligibility for assistance through the Alaska Housing Finance Corp. application portal at alaskahousingrelief.org. The application period will run from Feb. 16 at 8 a.m. until March 5 at 11:59 p.m.

According to the housing relief website, the application portal is open to renters “no matter where they live in Alaska.”

To be eligible, renters must have experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic and meet income criteria defined by the federal government. For renters in Anchorage seeking relief, their annual income must be less than $77,840, according to the municipality’s announcement.

Payments will go directly to landlords, property managers and utilities. Those who have received previous federally funded rental assistance are still eligible, according to the announcement.

More information and pre-registration are available by calling or texting the word “relief” to 833-440-0420.