History

In 1980, a group of citizens committed to improving our city’s neighborhoods and communities met around a kitchen table in the Spenard community. Their initial goal was to help reverse their neighborhoods decline by increasing safe, affordable housing, by improving access to attractive places to work, shop, and do business, and by making roadways safer and more welcoming. A year later, they founded Anchorage Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. dba NeighborWorks® Alaska (NWAK).
 
We now provide an extensive array of community development services. Over the prior four decades, NeighborWorks® Alaska has had a significant impact on improving Anchorage neighborhoods through affordable rental housing, home preservation, lending for homeownership, counseling, neighborhood revitalization, housing construction and rehabilitation, and project consultation. We believe that all Alaskans should have access to quality affordable and housing. See our 2021 Annual Report for more history.

Our newest and growing program is Supportive Housing, which provides case management to clients experiencing homelessness and those with disabilities to move into safe, stable housing. We’ll continue to grow this program and serve our community in new ways.

From that first grassroots effort to over four decades later, NeighborWorks® Alaska’s mission has now expanded statewide to continue “improving the quality of life for families and individuals by preserving homes, creating new opportunities, and strengthening neighborhoods.”

Since our founding, we’ve walked thousands of Alaskans from vulnerability to security. Our North Star is an Alaska where Thriving Families, Strong Communities, and Stable Housing flourish in areas either rural or urban. We provide access to success by offering affordable housing options, maintaining top quality properties, equipping aspiring homeowners with loans and financial management tools, and collaborating on neighborhood revitalization projects. We envision a future where all Alaskans have a place to call home in vibrant, inclusive, resilient communities of choice, regardless of income, geography, background, age, or other barriers.