2000 Best Practice Awards

2000-1830 Partners are key ingredient to the success at Gruening Park Neighborhood Networks Center
Juneau, Alaska
Contact: Tamara Rowcroft (907) 780-6666

On September 29, 1999, Arlene Patton and Renee Greenman, of the Northwest/Alaska Multifamily Hub participated in the dedication ceremony of the Even Start Family Learning Center at Gruening Park Apartments in Juneau, Alaska. Owned by the Alaska Housing Development Corporation, this Center at Gruening Park is the 3rd Neighborhood Networks Center to open in Alaska since the inception of the Initiative in September of 1995.

The Even Start Family Learning Center at Gruening Park is a comprehensive, community based program that provides educational opportunities for parents and children to learn together and improve their literacy skills. The Even Start Family Learning Center is located in the low income housing community of Gruening Park, in a four bedroom apartment. Kathy Davis, Kathy Claiborne, and Carmen Tennison out of the Alaska HUD Office worked together with the owner and agent to develop this Neighborhood Networks Center. Gruening Park is home to approximately 250 children, 18 years of age and under. Many residents depend on the bus system for transportation, limiting their ability to regularly access services in the greater Juneau community.

2000-2297 Anchorage Youth Empowerment Program (YEP!)
Anchorage, Alaska
Contact: Bruce Farnsworth (907) 271-1416

The Youth Empowerment Project (YEP!) was developed by Anchorage youth in collaboration with adults as an on-going project for youth to participate in the community's planning and governmental process by taking the lead in defining and prioritizing youth goals. This includes increasing youth involvement in long-range planning of the municipality's Comprehensive Plan.

2000-1885 Customer Service Enhanced Using The NW/AK Mf Hub Website, Internet/Intranet Tools (Hubwide-AK)
Seattle, Washington
Contact: Carl Neuswange (206) 220-5228

The Northwest/Alaska Multifamily Hub believes strongly in offering the most up to date information to its clients both internally and externally. However, faced with limited resources, this multifamily hub has used the tools right at their fingertips - the Internet and Intranet - to get the job done. Here are some examples of how the Customer Service is being enhanced through the use of the internet and intranet: 1. In an effort to communicate current information to the Multifamily Staff as well as the Community Builders Offices within the Hub, the Operations Teams developed a newsletter - Multifamily Matters - to communicate what is happening in the hub. 2. For external clients, the hub works diligently with the assistance of a dedicated webmaster to maintain an up to date and user friendly Northwest/Alaska Multifamily Hub Website.

One example of how this website has been successful is in the feedback received from those that use the Fast Track webpage. The Fast Track site in the past has been used by many both internal and external clients to provide information on Multifamily Production. This is the only site across the country that has links to all the forms needed to participate in the Fast Track Process. This site is being updated to include and implement the Multifamily Accelerated Process (MAP). This site has been up for less than one year and in that time has received over 10746 visitors to this site.

2000-2402 Construction Management Training & Technical Assistance
Fairbanks, Alaska
Contact: Jo E. Cooper (907) 452-4468

The Alaska Department of Community & Economic Development utilizes Community Development Block Grant funds to contract with local governments throughout the State to enhance the quality of life for low-income residents by providing the financial resources to communities for public facilities, planning, and special economic development activities which encourage community self sufficiency, reduce or eliminate conditions which are detrimental to the health and safety of local residents, and reduce the costs of essential community services.

The Department receives approximately $3 Million per year in CDBG funds. These funds are distributed via competitive grants to the roughly 200 eligible communities in amounts not to exceed $200,000 per year.

2000-1838 Fairbanks Resource Agency - A Successful Developer for Disabled Housing Shows How It Can Be Done!
Fairbanks, Alaska
Contact: Emily Ennis (907) 456-8901

Fairbanks Resource Agency is considered a leader of affordable housing for the disabled in Fairbanks, Alaska. With two 811Group Homes developed in the last 4 years - Mary A. Nordale and John L. Noyes House, there are two (2) independent living facilities under development - the Ivan V. Fosheim House and North Pole Housing.

This agency is not only successful in developing needed housing but also providing services for the clients. Their success is linked to good business practices - being organized and knowing their clients. Their clientele is primarily developmentally disabled individuals however, they go a step further by developing their sites to be 100% physically accessible. Their success also stems from retaining a contractor and architect year round on their development team. As a result, the organization is ready with the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) comes out each year for Section 811 funding. They are able to put together a quality application for they know where
they are heading -they have a plan.

2000-1836 HUD Celebrates International Housing Partnership in Rural Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Contact: Paul O. Johnson (909) 271-4683

The HUD’s Alaska State Office has facilitated a successful housing partnership with the Alaska Housing independent living housing project for low-income Alaskan Elders in the Village of Stebbins. HUD representatives, state and local governments, and members of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation of Yellowknife, Canada, shared technical expertise to design a program to successfully address the housing needs of low income elderly in rural Alaska. The primary funding source for the project is a $581,700 capital advance from HUD’s Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program

2000-1649 Anchorage - Building on Our Dreams video
Anchorage, Alaska
Contact: Caren Mathis (907) 343-8161

The Municipality of Anchorage, an entitlement jurisdiction, has produced a video, the purpose of which is to solicit and encourage participation by the public in the development and formulation of the Municipality's Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan. The 12 minute video begins with a brief history of the City emphasizing the role that comprehensive planning has played (or failed to play) in the development of our City. It is designed to impress upon the viewer the importance of planning for the long-term and the need for participation in local government's efforts in this regard for our future and the future of our children.

2000-956 Rural Alaska Bulk Fuel Facilities
Anchorage, Alaska
Contact: Percy Frisby (907) 269-4640

In rural Alaska, virtually all remote villages are dependent on fuel to heat their homes and/or operate generators to produce electricity. In many villages, previously constructed bulk fuel facilities did not meet current safety and operating requirements. This project allowed for the construction of 13 facilities ensuring safe operation.

2000-160 Development of Marrulut Eniit (Grandma’s House) Assisted Living Facility
Dillingham, Alaska
Contact: Dave McClure (907) 842-5956

Bristol Bay Housing Authority , through a collaboration of multiple partners, completed 10 accessible and equipped housing units of 480 sq. ft. plus a full time manager’s apartment of 800 sq. ft. Each unit is equipped with a reasonable living area, bedroom and small kitchen. Common areas include a dining/multi-purpose congregate living area, kitchen facilities for group dining, separate storage area for each tenant, general storage area, a common laundry, common whirl pool, and a large fenced courtyard overlooking Nushagak Bay. Attendant caretakers are available for 24 hours per day. The assisted living facility is operated by a 501© 3 organization which is comprised of those agencies which contributed to the project. Bristol Bay Housing Authority (BBHA) provides contract management, and the staff is employed by BBHA. This facility is the first state licensed assisted living facility in remote Alaska.

2000-1822 HOME Opportunity Program
Anchorage, Alaska
Contact: Carma E. Reed (907) 330-8275

The HOME Opportunity Program (HOP) provides low-income homebuyers with conditionally forgivable, zero interest rate loans to assist in meeting down payment and closing costs funding requirements, and to buy down the first mortgage where necessary to provide affordability. HOP is administered by non-profit organizations that respond to a Notice of Funding Availability issued by Alaska Housing Finance Corporation annually or bi-annually.

2000-0117 Housing for Self-Determination
Anchorage, Alaska
Contact: Gail C. West (907) 777-3014

First National Bank of Anchorage, Kuskokwim Architects & Engineers, 21 Tribal governments, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle teamed up to build 51 housing units – both single family homeownership and duplex rental units. A First National Bank mortgage loan officer worked with the housing officers from the villages to teach them how to take a loan application. The housing officers then worked with their potential homebuyers to take loan applications and forwarded those applications to the loan officer, who pre-qualified each family for a mortgage loan.

2000-2652 Covenant House Alaska Community Service Center for At-risk Youth
Anchorage, Alaska
Contact: Alison Kear (907) 258-4237

In the interest and need of expanded services for homeless & runaway youth, Covenant House Alaska met with members of our community and devised a plan to acquire a local facility below market value (Catholic Archdiocese) that was large enough to offer an expanded walk-in resource center for youth and offer a transitional living program that could house 14 youth. Covenant House Alaska is the premier provider of services for homeless & runaway youth. Opening in Alaska in 1988 Covenant House Alaska has provided shelter services to over 8,000 youth. Having outgrown our capacity to serve youth in our Walk-in site and being able to deliver limited transitional living beds we knew we needed partners. The Youth Resource Center offers walk-in and outreach services to homeless & runaway youth ages 13-20. Youth can receive mail, receive vocational & educational assistance, case management services, free family mediation, food, clothing and referrals to a multitude of community providers. The Rights of Passage program is a transitional living program for homeless youth ages 18-20 offering a comprehensive program to help them succeed at independence.

2000-0208 Metlakatla Artists' Village
Metlakatla, Alaska
Contact: Patricia Beal (907) 886-8687

This project consists of the construction of a facility to provide space for services and functions non-existent in Metlakatla. The facility provides the needed space for the following activities: Services to Artists and Crafts Makers, Services to Students, Community wide functions, and serve as a Tourist Attraction.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011