New Homeowner Assistance Initiative Begins Tuesday in Kotzebue
Starting Tuesday, homeowners in Kotzebue, Alaska who have been hit hard by the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic have a fresh avenue for financial relief. They can apply for support from the Homeowners Assistance Fund (HAF), facilitated by the Native Village of Kotzebue, to aid them in meeting both their upcoming and past-due mortgage payments, as well as covering essential utilities and homeowners’ insurance fees.
The initiative spearheaded by Homeowners Assistance Fund Specialist Caitlin Conwell will commence accepting applications from Tuesday, September 5, remaining open until all allocated funds are disbursed. The grant is part of a nationwide effort initiated by the American Rescue Plan Act to offer a financial lifeline to homeowners struggling in the wake of the pandemic, preventing mortgage delinquencies and consequent displacements. Up until 2022, this gesture of solidarity has extended a helping hand to over 230,000 homeowners across the nation according to data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
To be considered for this grant, applicants must satisfy specific eligibility criteria. Apart from being adversely affected by the pandemic, they must reside in a home they own located in Kotzebue, abiding by a set income guideline. Additionally, having an active email address is pivotal for the application process, although assistance from a family member in this regard is permissible.
A notable aspect of this program is its inclusivity towards tribal members scattered not just in Kotzebue but across Alaska and the entire U.S. These individuals can avail themselves of assistance for an array of home-related expenditures barring home renovations, a privilege reserved exclusively for the Kotzebue residing tribal members. This focus on home renovations is grounded in the concerted effort to ameliorate the severe housing shortage exemplified by a deficit of approximately 297 homes in the community, an issue spotlighted in the Indian Housing Plan.
Paulette Schuerch, the village office’s tribal broadband connectivity program specialist and grant writer, underscored the HAF program’s integral role in this endeavor, describing it as a weapon in the fight against COVID-19 and a strategy to lessen the strain of the acute housing crisis beleaguering the community. She stressed that the fund represents a valuable opportunity to usher in substantial enhancements in the living conditions of the residents, encouraging them to seize this opportunity to transform their living environments into more hospitable and improved spaces.
It was clarified that while all tribally enrolled members are welcome to apply for assistance, the option of home renovations is restricted to Kotzebue’s tribal inhabitants, rectifying an earlier misinformation that purported eligibility was confined to Kotzebue’s tribal members.
Furthermore, in other areas of Northwest Alaska such as Selawik, Noorvik, Ambler, Kobuk, Deering, and Shungnak, the Northwest Inupiat Housing Authority has already been operational in furnishing homeowners with necessary assistance via this invaluable program. This ongoing initiative stands as testimony to the communal efforts to combat the housing crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, fostering a spirit of resilience and solidarity in these testing times.
