KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
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Holding on to housing in Kodiak can be as difficult as finding it. Laurie Skonberg is a housing advocate with the Kodiak Island Housing Authority and says that while spring is said to be the worst time to be looking for a place- as locals are competing with incoming seasonal workers- right now can be just as hard, especially for people who rent rooms.
— (Waitlist 1 :20 "Right before the holidays … or I’m gonna be homeless.")
K-I-H-A currently has 55 people on its waitlist for low-income housing. Skonberg says many will wait one to two years for a vacancy. One man has been on the list for three years. The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation released a study last August that showed Kodiak has the highest rents and lowest vacancies in the state. Skonberg describes some of the people on KIHA’s waitlists:
— (Waitlist 2 :18 "People that are either renting a room … within the state.")
K-I-H-A keeps several other very long waitlists; one for senior housing at Heritage Heights and another list for Alaska Native/American Indian preference housing. K-I-H-A also owns the Cliffwood and Harborview apartment complexes which don’t have subsidized rents but still have plenty of people hoping for a vacancy.
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