NeighborWorks Alaska is Celebrating 45 Years of Service
Over 45 years ago, neighbors in Spenard gathered around their friend’s kitchen table to come up with strategies to improve their neighborhood. From driveway repairs to home rehabs, they worked together to eventually form NeighborWorks Alaska.
Our story begins with the indomitable spirit of Faye Connolly, a community leader with a bold vision that helped found our organization. In Faye’s words,
“The best way to get something done is to begin.”
Over the decades, we’ve grown from that neighborhood-focused initiative. Today, we house thousands of Alaskans every day in safe, stable, quality housing. We believe that every Alaskan deserves a safe place to call home, and we are proud to do our part to make that happen.
We believe that all Alaskans should have access to quality affordable and housing. See our 2024 Annual Report for more!
Looking Back Over 45 years
As we celebrate our 45th anniversary, we invite you to join us in our mission and share in this celebration. Let’s continue to create opportunities, one home at a time.
Submit your Milestones to share and celebrate NeighborWorks Alaska in your life:
Starting in 1980, Spenard residents joined together around Faye Connolly’s kitchen table to strategize how to improve their neighborhood. On October 15, 1981, they officially formed “Anchorage Neighborhood Housing Services”—that’s us! Now called NeighborWorks Alaska, we continue the good work started by those community members 45 years ago.
NWAK welcomed our first employee and Executive Director, Cynthia Parker.
Our first Board of Directors likely features names you recognize. It included: Jim Kubitz, Jim Cash, Elaine Nelson, Jack Reekie, Dave Chatfield, Faye Connolly, James Murphy, Dan Kennedy, Tyler Jones, Connie Parker, and Tony Swartz.
Our staff grew to 7 employees in the first few years, including: Cynthia Parker, Ed O’Neal, Lorna Loudon, Mike Cores, Terra Jollie, Joan Wike, and Jim Nordlund.
NeigborWorks Alaska led “Spenard in Motion,” a comprehensive initiative to transform Spenard Road. We invested millions of dollars in commercial lending to businesses along the corridor; to beautification programs for new fences, driveway paving, landscaping, and freshly painting homes; to rehabbing exiting housing and apartments, our team did it all!
- In just two years, NWAK made 171 loans to Spenard residents totaling $1,750,000!
- Overall, this sparked $34,126,521 of private funds into Spenard through our own and conventional loans for rehabilitation and new construction efforts—including the Spenard Recreation Center and road improvements.
NWAK board welcomed their two new neighborhood focus areas: Nunaka Valley and Government Hill. This included home improvement loans for eligible low-income families through the Community Development Block Grant program.
- For Nunaka Valley, goals included individual housing rehab and community-based improvements. This included a neighborhood clean-up, driveway paving, and home window programs.
- For Government Hill, goals included addressing the commercial district, the multiplex area, and the Sunset Park area. Programs included removing abandoned cars (17 of them!), residential and commercial loan programs through a Revolving Loan Fund and Single Family Second Mortgage programs.
On a city-wide basis, NWAK launched “Paint the Town” project, involving over 700 volunteers in a week-long event that painted the homes of some 70 plus individuals in need of assistance! This was a signature event for NWAK for decades, serving hundreds of residents through the service of thousands of volunteers through business sponsorship.
At this point, for every dollar that NWAK had invested, an additional $33 in public and private funds was leveraged and reinvested!
NWAK received a commitment of $4 million as private social investment dollars to purchase commercial loans. This commitment was from investors associated with Neighborhood Housing Services of America, a secondary market for NeighborWorks loans.
Bernie Souphanavong moved Alaska’s only tofu production and sprout growing business to Spenard when he purchased a property with a loan from NWAK’s Commercial Loan Fund. Northland Soy’s progress continues today through Alaska Sprouts. Owner SJ Klein had purchased and moved the business to Fairview, a neighborhood NWAK is currently investing for redevelopment today!
In February 1989, NWAK established a sister organization the Anchorage Mutual Housing Association, creating a new affordable product to allow residents to participate in the management of their housing and accrue a limited equity position. In 1989, NWAK’s first Mutual Housing Association project was completed called Turnagain Circle. Residents were able to purchase a “share” in the development and accrue limited equity while paying modest monthly carrying costs. At this time, NWAK purchased 450 units for Mutual Housing, recognizing that “quality, affordable housing” was “still out of reach for many Anchorage residents.”
By 1991, NWAK finished the development, renovation, and acquisition of affordable housing under its Mutual Housing Corporation’s Management. This includes three properties we continue to own and operate, including our largest Panoramic View Apartments in Government Hill, housing 268 individuals and families! This also includes the Loussac Sogn Single Room Occupancy apartments (52 units) and Stephens Park (160 units).
At the time, we also offered housing at the Village Commons (156 units) and Boniface Plaza (32 units).
We became a registered member of the “NeighborWorks America” network, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. We’re an exemplary NWA network member!
The network provides guidance, connections, and operational and capital funding that helps with predevelopment & equity investment in housing projects, general operations, community development, and leveraging more funds. NWA supports our our organizational health and our overall mission to sustain and preserve affordable housing for Alaska’s future generations.
Our Maintenance and Facilities team has some major longevity! Today, we have four members of our team that were hired in the ‘90’s—meaning they have 116 years of experience with NeighborWorks Alaska!
- Kele Kelemete hired: 1994
- Tim Fahey hired: 1997
- Peni Pula hired: 1998
- Sonny FungChenPen hired: 1999
In 1993, NWAK grew our housing portfolio. NWAK purchased Garden Villa apartments (76 units) for low to moderate- income housing. NWAK also started new construction on Spruce View (82 units) as a Limited Partnership tax credit property, acquired Merrill Crossing (83 units), and The Mallary Apartments (111 units).
By 1995, NWAK reclaimed the dilapidated Loussac-Sogn building and transformed it into affordable Single Room Occupancy housing, which we still offer in the heart of Downtown Anchorage. One of our first residents Edith Ewing, said “Living at Loussac-Sogn is like being a citizen of a small village where everyone knows everyone else.” That’s still true today for our community at the Loussac-Sogn SRO Apartments!
NWAK’s Mutual Housing Association also developed two properties NWAK continues to own and operate today: Spruce View (82 units) and Hampstead Heath Apartments (88 units).
In 1995, NWAK invested $1.25 million in Merrill Crossing in Fairview, refurbishing apartment buildings for 83 units of housing. At the time NWAK set up a home loan office at Merrill Crossing because NWAK “would like to see those people put down roots in Fairview, which has the potential to be one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods. One of the oldest and most established housing areas, Fairview is within walking distance of the business district, downtown shopping, and a neighborhood health center, recreation center, senior center, elementary school, and churches.”
NWAK also received the Municipality of Anchorage’s “City of Lights” award and the Governor’s Award.
State of Alaska award was secured for the purchase and renovation of a vacant office building, now the Adelaide Single Room Occupancy Apartments. Still offered today, the Adelaide Apartments provide 73 units for low-income residents coming out of homelessness. The local union and general contractor worked with low-income youth from Mountain View while constructing the project, so they could gain marketable construction skills. For the first 10 years of operation, the project had a commitment from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to provide supportive services for residents. NWAK continues this today through a program with the support of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.
In 1999, Mary Jane Michael became the CEO/Executive Director of ANHS/AMHA, serving until 2003. Mary Jane continues to make an impact in our community.
1999-2000, was a peak year for NWAK lending services, helping 276 low-income individuals and families become homeowners and investing a total of $8 million in the community.
NWAK instituted a small business loan program in a new target neighborhood of Muldoon. Also organized the groundbreaking for the A.L. Muldoon Rest Area, as well as participating in the Muldoon Weed and Seed neighborhood revitalization committee.
In 2000, Faye Connolly received the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation’s Dorothy Richardson Award in recognition of her outstanding community leadership to revitalize America’s neighborhoods.
NWAK acquired Brighton Park (80 units) in Russian Jack as a tax credit property for low-income residents.
NWAK launched the “Nailing it Down in Fairview and Mountain View – World Changers in Anchorage” major neighborhood revitalization event, rehabilitating 37 homes.
Through the 1980’s, NWAK was dedicated to neighborhood revitalization in Spenard through private and public partnerships.
In the 1990’s, NWAK acquired, renovated, and built 12 multi-family properties of over 1,200 rental units. Between 1999-2000, we transitioned 116 units from rental housing to home ownership for low-income families. Our program “Owner Built,” gave homeowners credit for putting sweat equity into the projects.
This marked the second of a five-year program of World Changers, partnering with the Municipality of Anchorage to rehab more than 40 homes in target neighborhoods. Partnerships included Cook Inlet Housing Authority and Shiloh Baptist Church. This included over 1,000 volunteers, 100 families, and included an investment of $8-10 million in Mountain View and Fairview.
Additionally, we worked to complete a rehabilitation of the first REO house in Muldoon, and sold it to a family of four, whose income was under the 80% Area Median Income. We also created “One Block at a Time” program in Muldoon in partnership with Weed and Seed Initiative to focus on rehabbing one block of homes during NeighborWorks Week.
NWAK welcomed Debe Mahoney as our Executive Director in 2005-2016. Debe led the organization during a time of great change, including the merger of Anchorage Mutual Housing Association into NWAK and the purchase of Dokoozian Construction. Debe brought a goal-oriented approach to strengthen and grow our impact across the state.
In five years since 2001, NWAK provided over 2,000 hours of homeownership counseling to 1,049 families. NWAK provided home financing to 429 families, leveraging mor than $54 million in the community.
NWAK purchased Dokoozian Construction, with three new development projects in progress at the time: three single-family homes in Fairview and Spenard, 16 affordable condos at Turnagain Circle, and 40 single-family, attached homes in Independence Park called Hollybrook Terrace. With that business purchase, NWAK also gained an employee Tim Geraty, who continues serving as our Deputy Director today!
- NWAK received the “Golden Hammer” award from the Anchorage Home Builders Association for Hollybrook Terrace.
During our 5-year partnership with World Changers International, we engaged over 1,000 volunteers to assist over 100 families in Fairview and Mountain View. These efforts produced more than home repairs, but also built friendships and community by bringing neighbors together.
We changed our name to “NeighborWorks Anchorage” to align with the national NeighborWorks America network.
Homeownership continues to be a key goal for many Anchorage individuals and families. NWAK, together with our lending and other community partners, strives to assist in making this goal achievable. Over the course of the last few decades, our lending and home rehab department has been a leader in this industry and in 2011 we were officially welcomed into the nationally recognized NeighborWorks® America HomeOwnership Center program. Founded on the “One-Stop-Shop” premise, Anchorage residents are able to prepare for homeownership, invest in their home, and maintain their home with support from local real estate professionals and our certified staff. Although many Americans have been enduring economic challenges, homeownership remains a viable option for well-prepared families, and is a foundation for family stability and healthy neighborhoods.
In 2012, NWAK offered Community Leadership Workshops to 30 residents for volunteer training. NWAK also participated in the Community Leadership Institute and created a “Step Up Alaska” project for young adults in Spenard.
In 2013, NWAK conducted its first Community Impact Measurement Survey in the Russian Jack neighborhood. This project partnered with University of Alaska Anchorage students to conduct physical block and parcel observations and data collection, as well as conducted door-to-door surveys. This effort was repeated in 2017 and 2020, offering community data over time.
NWAK constructed The Roosevelt Apartments in Spenard. These are 10 units of housing dedicated to residents with disabilities.
In the early 2000’s, NWAK also began offering 3rd Party Property Management for HUD Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities and the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly programs. These programs provide funding to develop and subsidize rental housing for low-income adults with disabilities and residents 62 years of age or older.
NWAK constructed Connolly Square Apartments, which are 20 units of housing dedicated for seniors located in Airport Heights. This property celebrates Faye Connolly, one of our founding board members. She led the way for our organization with her mantra, “The best way to get something done is to begin.”
We changed our name again to “NeighborWorks Alaska” to align with our newly expanded mission to serve all of Alaska.
Our main lines of business continue to be Community Building & Engagement, Supportive Housing, and Affordable Housing, which includes our property management, real estate development and asset management, loan portfolio management, and homeownership preservation.
We partnered with Arctic Slope Regional Corporation’s subsidiary, Alaska Growth Capital, to hose “Keep the Change” financial building program to teach youth practical strategies for budgeting, saving, banking, and managing credit. Efforts for the curriculum were also designed to be culturally relevant and align with subsistence lifestyles. In one year, we visited 10 village, served 42 participants, and counseled 18 people in the effort.
In 2016, we also completed major rehab projects at Panoramic View and Stephen’s Park properties—finishing 2 years of work for weatherization, exterior painting, and siding replacement at 26 buildings (almost 400,000 square feet!).
We expanded our partnership efforts by becoming the fiscal sponsor for the Anchorage Reentry Coalition. Today, our Supportive Housing team continues to lead efforts to achieve the vision to offer opportunities for change and rehabilitation for those adult individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the great Anchorage area, including treatment, health equity, housing, peer support, employment opportunities and community navigation.
Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, providing quality, stable housing was elevated to a foundational need amidst the uncertainties. Our team worked with partners across the community to stabilize rent for our tenants, offer covid prevention strategies, and reduce evictions and displacements. Our board chair led efforts to provide “Kid Craft Kits” and holiday bags for seniors at our properties—including homemade cookies and cocoa—to ensure they knew NWAK cared and was looking out for them.
Our HomeOwnership Center created 241 first-time homebuyers and offered 455 clients counseling and education services.
For the third time, NWAK partnered with the Russian Jack Community Council to host a “Community Impact Measurement Survey” to collect resident feedback regarding community engagement, resident satisfaction, service delivery quality, perceptions of safety, and block and property data. This informed our community engagement efforts in the community going forward.
NWAK is the proud fiscal sponsor of Anchor Gardens, a volunteer initiative to build food security one garden at a time. Anchor Gardens volunteers host dozens of workshops, trainings, and sharing events all year long! From backyard composting to beekeeping, we provide free opportunities for all. Our seed and seedling exchanges are signature events each year, but it could not be possible without dozens of volunteers!
From 2022-2025, our Supportive Housing department launched the CHANGE program, thanks to the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. This was an option for those who need an immediate short-term Emergency Shelter with an additional 12 months of rental assistance in a leased unit. This successful program served 675 clients, with 95% experiencing increases in income and stability staying housed after the program ended.
In 2022, NWAK welcomed our current Executive Director, Jim MacKenzie. J im is a collaborative leader who achieves outstanding results while supporting the wellbeing of our employees, volunteers, and those we serve.
“I’m honored to lead our organization into its fifth decade. With the support and unwavering commitment of our dedicated board and expert staff, I am excited about the accomplishments that lie ahead!” said Jim.
Prior to Jim’s appointment to Executive Director, Jim served in various roles within the organization for nearly 7 years, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer. Jim has extensive leadership in Anchorage’s nonprofit sector including as Interim Executive Director of Safe Harbor, Director of Development & Communications at Food Bank of Alaska, and Deputy Executive Officer at the Alaska Humanities Forum. Jim has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Born and raised in Anchorage, Jim is committed to ensuring all Alaskans can thrive.
Community engagement brings neighbors together to listen, collaborate, and take collective action. At NeighborWorks Alaska, our goal is to support residents in creating safer, more connected, and vibrant communities — guided by the voices and priorities of those who live there.
NeighborWorks Alaska is currently partnering with the Fairview Community Council on a “Fairness for Fairview” effort and a process to Reconnect Fairview. Visit our website with more details at www.FairviewAK.org.
Partnering with United Way of Anchorage, NWAK coordinated targeted food distribution events for individuals and families in supportive housing through Our Kitchen Table Food Pantry. This partnership directly addressed food insecurity while reinforcing our integrated approach to stabilizing households and meeting immediate needs. We served 3,964 people through meal provision, pantry food requests, and grocery stopping trips.
In 2024-2025, we kicked off the rehab for The Mallary Apartments, located in Midtown. We began work on 55 units, including replacing roofs, upgrading the fire alarm system, installing new parking lots and sidewalks, and adding a new water drainage system. The project will totaled over $4million in investments for our 175 residents.
After 45 years, we are celebrating decades of lasting impact all across Alaska!