Alaska Rent Relief Program: What Closed and Where Renters Can Get Help Now

What happened to Alaska Housing Rent Relief

Alaska Housing Rent Relief was the state's pandemic rent program. AHFC ran it with federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) money from the U.S. Treasury, and it paid landlords and utility companies directly for households that lost income during COVID-19. It opened in early 2021 and ran in several application windows. By August 2, 2021, AHFC reported it had already paid $85.2 million on behalf of 44,147 Alaskans living in rental housing.

The final window ran from September 13 to October 1, 2021. AHFC's Rent Relief FAQ now says the application period closed on October 1, 2021, and that no new applications or appeals will be accepted. The program then wound down as payments on approved cases finished.

The federal source is gone too. The Treasury's Emergency Rental Assistance page states that the ERA2 period of performance ended on September 30, 2025. That also closed the separate ERA programs that some Alaska Native tribes and tribal housing entities ran with their own federal awards.

So help now comes in smaller pieces from several places. None of them pays months of back rent the way the pandemic program did, which is why it makes sense to ask more than one at the same time.

Where to start, by situation

Different problems go to different offices. This table points you to the first call for each one.

State emergency help through DPA

The Alaska Division of Public Assistance (DPA), part of the Department of Health, runs the state's safety-net programs. Two of them matter most when rent is due.

General Relief Assistance is the state's program for one-time emergencies. It pays a vendor, such as a landlord, directly rather than giving you cash, and it is meant for people with very little income who have nowhere else to turn. Ask for it at your local DPA office and bring your lease and any notice. Our Alaska hardship program guide explains General Relief, ATAP cash aid for families, and the other DPA programs in more detail, so this page does not repeat them.

The Heating Assistance Program, Alaska's version of federal LIHEAP, pays part of winter heating costs to your fuel dealer or utility. It does not pay rent, but in a cold month it can free up the money you need for the landlord. The federal rules set the income cap at 150% of the poverty line or 60% of state median income, and Alaska uses its own higher poverty figures. Our LIHEAP guide covers how the program works nationwide.

If you get the Permanent Fund Dividend, it is worth planning ahead with it. Some renters ask their landlord in writing for a short payment plan tied to the PFD payment date. A landlord does not have to agree, but many will when the plan is specific.

AHFC-funded homelessness prevention

AHFC no longer takes rent relief applications from individuals. Instead, it funds local nonprofits through grants, and you get help by going to those agencies. AHFC's homeless assistance grants page lists the main sources:

• Homeless Assistance Program (HAP). State money for emergency or transitional housing and for services that prevent homelessness or quickly rehouse people who have been displaced. AHFC says the funds go to agencies, not individuals.
• Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). Federal HUD money that AHFC distributes in the "balance of state," meaning Alaska outside the Municipality of Anchorage. Anchorage gets its own ESG funding through the city. Under federal ESG rules, prevention help is generally limited to households with income at or below 30% of area median income.
• Special programs. AHFC also funds housing tied to release from incarceration, housing help for people living with HIV/AIDS, and supportive housing for Alaska Mental Health Trust beneficiaries.

AHFC's Statewide Homeless Housing Office can point you to the funded agency near you. Its page lists 907-330-8255, or 833-330-8255 toll-free outside Anchorage. If you are homeless or about to be, AHFC also tells people to call 211.

Alaska 211, tribal programs, and charities

Most day-to-day rent help in Alaska now comes from local groups with small budgets that change during the year.

• Alaska 211. Run by United Way of Anchorage. Dial 2-1-1 or 800-478-2221, or search alaska211.org. Ask for "rent assistance," "eviction prevention," and "security deposit help" by name, and give your town, since programs in Juneau, Fairbanks, the Mat-Su, and rural hubs differ.
• Tribal housing authorities. Alaska's regional housing authorities and many tribes run housing programs with federal Native American housing block grant money. Rules and openings vary by region, so call the one that serves your village or city.
• Salvation Army. Corps in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and other Alaska towns sometimes help with rent or utilities. Use the Salvation Army location finder and our Salvation Army rental assistance guide.
• Catholic Social Services and other faith groups. Search the Catholic Charities USA help finder for the Alaska member agency, and ask local churches. Our guide to churches that help with rent explains how to ask.

Small funds usually cover part of a month. Tell each agency what the others have promised. They often split the bill when they know the rest is covered.

Vouchers and public housing for longer help

If the problem is that rent is simply more than you can pay every month, one-time funds will not fix it. AHFC is also Alaska's public housing agency. It runs Housing Choice Vouchers and owns rental units in communities around the state. Its how to apply page explains the process, and its waiting list status page shows which communities have open lists. When we checked, AHFC said it had open waiting lists in 16 communities.

Waits can be long, so apply early, even while you look for short-term help. Keep your mailing address and phone number current with AHFC, because missing a letter can drop you from the list. AHFC's headquarters numbers are 907-338-6100 in Anchorage and 800-478-2432 toll-free in Alaska.

Alaska rent relief program alternatives when you get a notice

A notice is the point when getting help becomes urgent, because Alaska's deadlines are short. The Alaska Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets the rules, and the Alaska Department of Law's landlord and tenant handbook (2024 edition) explains them in plain language.

Unpaid rent: 7 days

Under AS 34.03.220(b), a landlord who wants to end a tenancy for unpaid rent must give a written notice. If you pay the rent in full within seven days, you can stay. The Department of Law says the notice must state the correct amount of rent owed and tell you that you can pay or move. If the landlord mails the notice, three days are added before the landlord can file in court.

Two details help tenants. First, you cannot be evicted only for late fees. You still owe them, but the 7-day notice is about rent. Second, if the landlord takes a partial payment after the notice, the Department of Law says the landlord must either sign a new written agreement extending the deadline or start the notice over.

Other notice periods

If your home has a federally backed mortgage or you use a voucher, federal rules may require a longer notice for unpaid rent. Ask legal aid to check.

How an Alaska eviction case moves

In Alaska an eviction case is called a forcible entry and detainer, or FED. If you do not pay or move by the notice deadline, the landlord can file in court. The Department of Law describes two hearings. The first, usually held before your written answer is due, decides who gets possession of the home. A later hearing deals with money, such as back rent or damages. You have 20 days to file a written answer to the complaint.

• Go to the first hearing. If you miss it, the landlord usually gets possession.
• Bring proof. Rent receipts, bank records, texts, the notice itself, and letters from any agency that has promised to pay.
• Check the notice. A notice that demands late fees or other charges as part of the rent, or that gives too little time, may be a defense.
• Do not move out because of threats. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act, shutting off utilities, changing locks, or taking your things to force you out is unlawful, and a tenant can sue over it. Police should not remove you without a court order.

An eviction judgment can make it harder to rent again. If one is already on your record, our guide to second chance apartments that accept evictions can help with the next move.

Repairs, deposits, and other tenant rights

Alaska landlords must keep a rental fit and habitable, and the state gives tenants real remedies when they don't. The Department of Law handbook explains these:

• Essential services. If the landlord deliberately or carelessly fails to supply heat, water, hot water, sewer, electricity, or plumbing, a tenant can give written notice and then, in some cases, get the problem fixed and deduct the reasonable cost from rent, or find substitute housing. The handbook gives the example of buying space heaters when the heating system fails.
• Security deposits. For rentals of $2,000 a month or less, deposits and prepaid rent together cannot be more than two months' rent. A landlord may ask up to one more month for pets, but not for service animals.
• Retaliation. A landlord cannot punish you for complaining about repairs, using your rights under the Act, or joining a tenant group.

Use written notices for anything that matters, and keep copies. The handbook includes sample forms for tenants.

Free legal help and mediation

Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) gives free civil legal help to Alaskans who qualify, and housing is one of its service areas. To apply, call the statewide intake line at 1-888-478-2572 or start online through its apply page. ALSC says an intake specialist follows up after an online interview, and it provides interpreters at no cost.

The Alaska Court System also launched an eviction diversion program in 2024. It gives landlords and tenants a chance to work out a payment plan or move-out date with a mediator before a judge decides the case. The Department of Law handbook lists 907-264-0883 for information. Agreements made in mediation often work best when you can show that an agency is ready to pay part of what you owe.

For questions about Alaska's debt collection rules, wage protections, and the PFD, see our Alaska debt relief programs guide.

A plan for the next seven days

1. Day 1: read the notice. Write down the date you got it and how it was delivered. Mailed notices give three extra days.
2. Day 1: tell your landlord in writing that you are applying for help, and ask how much will clear the notice.
3. Day 1 or 2: call Alaska 211 and your local DPA office about General Relief. Ask 211 which AHFC-funded agency does prevention in your area.
4. Day 2: call your tribal housing authority if you are an Alaska Native or American Indian household, and the Salvation Army and local churches.
5. Day 2 or 3: apply to ALSC if you have a notice that looks wrong or court papers.
6. Before day 7: pay the full rent if the help comes through, and get a receipt.
7. Any time: get on AHFC voucher waiting lists if rent is more than you can handle long term.

Related guides

• Alaska hardship program
• Washington rent relief
• Oregon rent relief
• Rent relief programs

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Program funding and rules change, so confirm details with the agency before you apply. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with AHFC, the State of Alaska, or any government agency.