You can check your eligibility by completing this short questionnaire. If you meet these criteria, you will be guided through the application process.
Yes! If you prefer to check your eligibility over the phone, please call us toll-free at 1-833-440-0420.
The application process is safe and confidential. However, if you prefer to check your income eligibility before entering personal information, click here. If you qualify you will have the opportunity to continue to the application.
Yes, everyone applies through the same process and program no matter where they live in Alaska.
Yes. Alaska Housing Rent Relief provides up to 12 months of future rent relief to eligible applicants.
Yes. Alaska Housing Rent Relief can be used to help you catch up on unpaid utility bills.
Yes. You must demonstrate negative economic or financial hardship due directly or indirectly to the coronavirus outbreak.
You can still apply for assistance with your rent and/or utility bills. There is no requirement for a specific length of residency in your current rental property.
Yes. The maximum allowable household income level varies based on your borough or census area. You can look up your area and see your maximum income level in the eligibility checker, linked below. If you qualify and meet the other eligibility requirements, you will be guided through the application process.
Funds will be available to renters statewide with household incomes of no more than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). Area Median Income (AMI) is calculated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) using data from federal entities such as the IRS. To qualify for Alaska Housing Rent Relief:
Your 2020 annual income for all members of your household — including all wages, tips, etc.— must have been at or below the 80% community Area Median Income (AMI); OR
Your 2021 monthly income for all members of your household — including all wages, tips, etc. — must currently be at or below the 80% community Area Median Income (AMI).
A more comprehensive relief program exists for these families, called the Safety Net Program. Alaska Housing Rent Relief may assist AHFC families whose needs are not fully met by our Safety Net Program. If this describes your situation, we encourage you to apply.
We encourage you to complete the eligibility checker. If you qualify and meet the other eligibility requirements, you receive detailed information on how to apply. During the application process you will be advised on the specifics of how any other programs may impact your eligibility for rent and/or utility relief.
Yes, as long as you fit the other criteria requirements and the agreement you have with your Landlord is a rental agreement or lease and not a mortgage.
At this time the rent relief program does not include lot rent space. Should there be changes or additional programs in the future, we encourage you to sign up for email notification here.
The current program only assists renters, but there may be changes or additional programs in the future. You can sign up for email notification here. Additional resources for homeowners can be found here.
If you could not participate in Alaska Housing Rent Relief because there were barriers which prevented you from applying or because you were determined to be ineligible when checking your eligibility, submitting your application, or working with a service provider during verification, you may protest that decision to Alaska Housing Finance Corporation by completing this form.
Application Process
The first step in the application process is to check your eligibility. Click here to get started!
The application period is currently open. Click here to check your eligibility and apply.
All applications received prior to the March 5 deadline will be processed in batches with a prioritization given to people who:
Earn under 50% area median income, and
Who are unemployed at the time of application, and have been for at least 90 days.
Within each batch, applications will be processed following a randomized numbering system.
Yes. The application period closes to new applications at 11:59 pm Alaska time on March 5, 2021.
Yes. Alaska Housing Rent Relief is a new program and you will need to submit a new application.
Yes, if you need assistance with your application, a friend or family member can help you apply. If they use their email address and/or mobile phone number, they will receive notifications regarding application status and process. If you don't have someone who can help you, please call us toll-free for assistance at (833) 440-0420.
For non-English speakers whose browsers are not already automatically offering to translate the Alaska Housing Rent Relief website for them, we recommend that they use the Google Translate functionality. By entering the URL and selecting the language, it will automatically translate a webpage into virtually any language. For example, here is the website in Spanish.
There is no paper application. However, if you need help applying we can give you resources to complete the application online, or you can apply over the phone. Call us toll-free at (833) 440-0420 for direct assistance.
Click here to see the application process, including screenshots of the online forms you will need to complete, and descriptions of each step along the way.
Please check your spam and junk mail folders for the verification email. Please also double check your email address and phone number to make sure that there are no accidental typos in your entry.
No. However, all amounts will be reviewed by a relief specialist and compared to data obtained from landlords and utility companies.
After you have submitted your application and are working with a relief specialist, they will guide you through the process of requesting documentation through our system. Through this process, your landlord can upload any additional information we need directly to your application.
Once submitted, we will review your application to make sure it is complete. If you'd like to confirm that you've submitted all required information, visit the check status page. If everything is "in review" then you're all set for now. If we still need something, you'll find links to submit.
Following the application deadline, completed applications will go into the verification process. At that time we will ask you for additional details and connect you with a relief specialist who will finalize your assistance.
Once you've applied, you can check the status of your application here.
No, but you will have the opportunity to provide essential information as part of a tenant's application. We encourage you to sign up to receive announcements about how you can help your tenants gain access to Alaska rent relief program funds. Click here to sign up for these important updates. Additional resources for landlords can be found here.
Rent Relief Funds Distribution
No. Payments will be directed to landlords, property managers, and utility providers.
No. Funds can only be used for rent and utility relief.
Yes. Funds will be used to first pay unpaid rent and utility bills. However, funds cannot be applied to past rent or utility bills that pre-date March 13, 2020.
The program allows for up to 12 months of financial assistance, with the possibility of extended assistance for an additional three months. All past-due rent and utilities back to March 13, 2020 will be paid first with remaining funds available for prospective (future) assistance. Funding will be available at least through September 30, 2021.
Eligible utilities that are usually provided by municipal utility companies include:
Electricity
Natural gas
Trash removal
Water/sewer
Other home-energy and home-heating costs that are not provided by municipal utility companies are also eligible, and include:
Home-heating fuel or oil
Propane
Firewood
Woodstove pellets
Telephone, cable, and internet are not considered utilities and are not eligible.
No. Utilities that are paid by the landlord and/or included in your rent will be treated as rent.
For More Information
Alaska Housing Rent Relief provides up to 12 months of rent and/or utility relief to eligible Alaskans who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation will administer up to $200 million in federal funds to eligible Alaskan renters through an application process.
Click here to sign up for important announcements regarding Alaska Housing Rent Relief funds, eligibility, and application process.
Find more information for landlords here. You can also receive announcements about how you can help your tenants gain access to rent relief program funds. Click here to sign up for these important updates.
Click here to sign up for these important updates.
Your information is safe with us. All data is encrypted and will never be shared with anyone outside of this program.
For direct assistance, call or text "relief" to (833) 440-0420 toll free.
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