A sixth Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) will be developed in Alaska over the next year using $200,000 in federal grant funding provided to Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) by the U.S. Administration on Aging, Washington, DC. To date, AHFC has developed five centers under the original $800,000 awarded in 2004. The ADRCs operate through Independent Living Centers located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai and Kotzebue. The centers assist seniors and persons with disabilities with various forms of long-term care options, housing, transportation, benefits’ counseling, and information and referral resources. ADRCs have become trusted sites for these populations—and their family members—to identify program resources available within the state of Alaska.
Alaska’s new ADRC site will be developed through a competitive Request for Proposals process and evaluation by a team of existing partners, including the Statewide Independent Living Council, Department of Health & Social Services, Alaska Commission on Aging, and AHFC’s Senior Housing Office. The intent will be to open in a new geographical location, not currently being served, with emphasis on Alaska’s senior network.
Jim McCall, AHFC’s Senior Housing Office, said, “Alaska’s ADRC network has emerged as a valuable resource for many seniors and Alaskans with disabilities over the past three years. Collaborative agreements have been established between several agencies in an effort to streamline access to various forms of public and privately funded programs. ADRCs are currently operating in 43 states across the U.S., and have reshaped the way Americans access these services. Alaska is fortunate to have received this competitive supplemental funding, so even more Alaskans will have access to the ADRC program.”
At the conclusion of this award, AHFC’s Senior Housing Office will have managed approximately $1.1 million in federal and state funding for the development of Alaska’s ADRC program. AHFC is a self-supporting public corporation with offices in 16 communities statewide. It provides statewide financing for multi-family complexes, congregate facilities, and single-family homes, with special loans for first-time home buyers, low- and moderate-income borrowers, veterans, teachers, nurses, public safety officers, and those living in rural areas of the state. AHFC also provides energy and weatherization programs, low-income rental assistance in 17 communities, and special services for seniors, Alaskans with disabilities, and the homeless. Since 1986, AHFC has contributed more than $1.5 billion to Alaska’s State budget revenues through cash transfers, capital projects and debt service payments.
Source: Alaska Housing Finance Corporation