Alaska

State data shows short-term rentals could be impacting long-term rental options

Published

1 year ago

September 23, 2023

State data shows short-term rentals could be impacting long-term rental options

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – In the summer of 2021, Renae Shockley uprooted her family of five and moved from Nevada to Fairbanks after accepting a new job offer. For three months, Shockley and her family searched for a place to rent.

“There was nothing available that was big enough,” Shockley said. “Everything was either seasonal, full, or sorry you have too many pets.”

In June, the family arrived in Fairbanks with still no place to live. When they could not find a place to live, the family camped for three weeks.

“We were essentially homeless for the first month,” Shockley said. “We had three incomes, we just didn’t have a place to live because nothing was available.”

It isn’t just happening in Fairbanks — the Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports low vacancy rates are limiting renters across the state.

In Ketchikan, Heather Williams was experiencing a similar situation to Shockley. In the fall of 2022, Williams struggled to find a place to move into after the lease ended on her two-bedroom apartment lease ended. With nothing on the market, she was forced to live in her car with her dog for several months during the winter.

“The hardest thing was telling myself to keep going,” Williams said.

From November of 2022 to late April of this year, Williams searched for a place to live.

“For probably the first four months there just wasn’t any place to find,” Williams said. “We probably went through half a dozen that they said I couldn’t move into because of the price.”

State-wide, Alaska saw a 7% increase in rental prices, according to the Department of Labor and Work Force Development. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough, where Williams lives, saw the biggest jump in rental prices. The cost for a two-bedroom apartment jumped 16% from 2022.

But on top of the rent prices, Williams said, short-term rentals made it hard for her to find affordable and available housing.

“A whole bunch of them popped up, which took up one- and two-bedrooms, a lot of the cottages, a lot of the condos. I saw a lot of familiar apartments that were advertised on the Airbnb that used to be apartments,” Williams said.

The data on short-term rentals in Alaska, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development said, is very limited.

“‘It’s not clear how many units in Alaska are moving from long-term to short-term, but national studies have found that in other parts of the country, short-term rentals can deplete long-term rental stocks,” the department reported in its Economic Trends report.

In Fairbanks, Shockley said short-term rentals also made it difficult for her to find a place to live.

“All I was able to find was those short-term, no more than a month because it’s an Airbnb. And the price is so high, then with three incomes we couldn’t do it,” Shockley said.

According to the Alaska Department of Labor, Airbnb can restrict the supply of long-term rentals.

“My husband is under the opinion tourism is causing the homeless because everything is going to Airbnb and there is nothing available for those who live here,” Shockley said.

Williams said she was able to find a one-bedroom apartment to rent with her dog at the end of May. She is currently paying $1,500 in rent — $250 more than before — but said she is lucky. While in Fairbanks, Shockley and her family were able to purchase a home.

Alaska’s News Source reached out to VRBO and Airbnb for comment on the matter. Airbnb said it is working on a statement.

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Alaska

Alaska Republicans bring in national lawyer, will ask for recount on Ballot Measure 2

Published

7 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Alaska Republicans bring in national lawyer, will ask for recount on Ballot Measure 2

The Alaska Republican Party said on Sunday that it will be asking the Division of Elections for a recount of the votes on Ballot Measure 2, which gave Alaskans the option of repealing ranked-choice voting.

Although dark money from Outside Alaska overwhelmed proponents of the repeal, it ended up failing to be repealed by just 664 votes, a tiny margin.

Of the 340,110 votes cast on the measure, the margin of “No” votes to “Yes” votes was 160,619 to 159,955, or 50.1% to 49.9%. The state must cover the costs of a recount when the margin is this close.

“We will submit this request, along with the names of the requisite Alaskan voters required to initiate this process, once the election is certiﬁed, which is scheduled for November 30, 2024,” said the statement issued by the Alaska Republican Party.

The party has hired the Dhillon Law Group, led by Harmeet K. Dhillon, to be on the ground during the recount and review, along with Alaska-based party counsel and observers.

“Ms. Dhillon and her firm are a nationally recognized, seasoned election integrity legal team, and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to this recount process. Ms. Dhillon is an expert in election law. She and her colleagues Michael Columbo and Mark Meuser were recently on the legal teams in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and other crucial locations nationally to ensure a fair, transparent, and thorough process,” said Party Chairwoman Carmela Warfield. “Our Party Counsel, Ms. Stacey Stone and her team, are experienced Alaskan election law practitioners, and in September 2024, they successfully intervened on the Alaska Republican Party’s behalf in the case of Alaska Democratic Party v. State of Alaska Division of Elections, ultimately prevailing in the Alaska Supreme Court.”

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Alaska

101-year-old woman shares her birthday reflections with Alaska’s News Source

Published

15 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

101-year-old woman shares her birthday reflections with Alaska’s News Source

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Norma Aldefer didn’t expect to turn 100. Now, one day after her 101st birthday, she’s even more surprised.

Inside her pristine apartment, Aldefer’s table is full of cards wishing her a happy birthday. She points out a favorite, which reads “You’re how old?”

Celebratory messages from loved ones, along with congratulations from state officials Senator Lisa Murkowski and Governor Mike Dunleavy. Aldefer said last year’s centennial birthday even brought in regards from President Joe Biden.

Aldefer moved to Alaska to marry her husband, who was originally from her hometown. The photograph she has at her side is of her as a younger woman posing with her mother in 1948.

Norma and her parents pose “all dressed up” for family photos.(Olivia Nordyke)

“We took pictures of ourselves and and I’m all dressed up in high heels and a hat and a purse. And my little bag that I was carrying.” Aldefer said she was scared leaving the small farm she grew up on, but by working as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell, she expanded her horizons.

Multiple times Aldefer stated she’s remained curious all her years. She said it’s the reason she’s been able to maintain herself rather than losing her faculties, and believes it’s the way to feel fulfilled.

“Sometimes people get into things they don’t enjoy, but they think, ‘Oh, I have to make a living.’ Don’t do that. If you’re not comfortable, go do something else,” Aldefer said.

“May not make a good living for a while, but you might enjoy life.”

Aldefer says she still enjoys life, and continues to enjoy a nightly martini alongside cheese and crackers before she begins to cook dinner.

Over the course of the interview, she marveled at her gratitude for her world – calling herself blessed.

“I know I’m not going to be here much probably much longer, but I’ve had such a good life, you know. I’m not afraid of it.”

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