Anchorage Assembly takes up $311,222 program to help mobile home residents displaced by park redevelopment

The Anchorage Assembly is considering a 2026 federal housing plan that would create a first-of-its-kind program to help mobile home park residents forced out when their parks are redeveloped, allocating $311,222 in Community Development Block Grant funds for the effort.

The plan names mobile homes as "a crucial type of naturally occurring affordable housing in Anchorage" and says the new Mobile Home Displacement Assistance program would help ensure "that the housing needs of low-income residents continue to be met" when parks are converted to other uses. The plan describes the program as addressing a gap in support for displaced mobile home park residents.

A Gap the Assembly Has Navigated Before

The displacement dynamic is not new to Anchorage. In April 2023, the Assembly called on code enforcement to pause notices to vacate at Forest Park Trailer Court for 90 days while an intermediate remediation option was explored. NeighborWorks Alaska subsequently administered a voluntary relocation program for Forest Park households, offering up to $50,000 per household over 24 months. The new CDBG program is designed to extend that kind of support to mobile home park residents facing redevelopment-driven displacement.

The plan frames the program as meeting goals in Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's 10,000 Homes in 10 Years Strategy, specifically around remediating neglect and holding property owners accountable. The memo was prepared by Chase Burghgrave, lead neighborhood planner at the Anchorage Health Department, and approved by Kimberly Rash, the department's director.

What Comes Next

The Mobile Home Displacement Assistance program is one line in a broader $2.57 million federal grant package. The full plan — the fourth year of five in the 2023–2027 consolidated plan — draws on CDBG, HOME Investment Partnerships, and Emergency Solutions Grant funds and must be submitted to HUD by August 16 upon Assembly approval. HUD then has up to 45 days to review it. Other major allocations in the package include $696,183 for housing redevelopment, $250,000 in tenant-based rental assistance for a homelessness-to-housing voucher program, $268,247 for shelter transportation, and $154,466 for homelessness prevention through the Aging and Disability Resource Center.