Juneau grants pay up to $13,500 to add a second unit, and a contractor list is coming

Juneau homeowners can get city grants of up to $13,500, 16 a year, to add an accessory dwelling unit. Applications go in with the building permit.

The Commission on Aging's housing workgroup is compiling a contractor directory for seniors aging in place. The group is collecting contractor names, contact details, specialties and experience with age-friendly projects. It is not vetting them; the Sept. 9 public meeting is still setting criteria.

The list will anchor a resource table at AARP's Nov. 4 "Aging in Juneau, Caring for Caregivers" summit at Centennial Hall, alongside Tlingit & Haida's age-friendly housing project on Douglas.

Commission records show seniors over 55 make up 30% of Juneau's population, with 84% owning homes. But Juneau Senior Housing Partners and Dawson Construction, developers of Trillium Landing, warn that ADU incentives may not help the lowest-income seniors, who may need larger, deeply affordable housing instead.