Story thread · 4 reports / 1 sources

Letter: The Missing Middle Housing Opportunity should be about affordability, not just density

adn.com · 2dShare

Anchorage needs policies that help residents buy homes, not just policies that increase the value of developable land. We shouldn’t assume that every increase in development rights will benefit future homeowners. The Missing Middle Housing Opportunity overlay ordinance, AO 2026-85 , that the Assembly is hearing on Sept. 15 gives developers and property owners a lot more rights but does not do anything to increase affordable housing. It seems to me that reducing setbacks to 0 and 5 feet, allowing people to build on 70% of a lot and not requiring off-street parking will allow McMansions, cut off sunlight to neighbors and make streets less safe. How does this improve a neighborhood or make affordable housing available? I was at the mayor’s standing-room-only 10,000-home meeting. There were a lot of good ideas there. Why doesn’t the Assembly listen to people who have lived here and are invested in Anchorage becoming a better city rather than listening to people who only want to make money

First report: Opinion: Anchorage needs more housing, but residents deserve a real say in how we get there — adn.com, 4d