Affordable Housing

There is increased awareness about the need for affordable housing for workers. As Alaska tourism comes booming back after COVID, the VRBO (Airbnb) market has put a serious crimp on the long term rental market.  Many service industry workers have to live substantial distances from their place of work as there is nowhere for them to live relatively near downtown business areas. The cost of travel detracts from their ability to make a living wage.  There are houses going up all over the place as we see a renewal of interest in the lower Kenai peninsula from snowbirds.  The demographic of the lower peninsula is also shifting toward a more retired population.  We need a solution other than creating a new version of the spit-rat shanty town which was an annual feature on the Homer spit as cannery workers made due with low cost alternative housing i.e. tents and small huts made of pallets and tarps.  This is a problem for more local solutions but I will work with local groups to help solve the problems.