Protecting Your Rights: Serving Sand Lake, Spenard and Turnagain

June 17, 2020

In this issue:

• End of Session Newsletter

• Help Slow the Spread!

• Rent and Mortgage Assistance Pilot Program

• Community Events

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Our End of Session Newsletter is hitting mailboxes this week! Click on the graphic below to view an online version.

End of Session Newsletter

Watch for our End of Session Newsletter in your mailbox this week! Topics include:

Responsible Action Plan for Alaska
Positive Steps by the Legislature
Common Sense Budget
Bipartisan Legislation
COVID-19 Info
Capital Budget

Click here to view our online version.

COVID-19: Help Slow the Spread!

COVID-19 activity is rising statewide. In Anchorage, there were 47 new cases between May 28 and June 3. These cases show that community spread is ongoing. We need everyone’s help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our community. I strongly encourage people to wear masks in public spaces for all of the reasons stated by the 160 (and growing) health care professionals calling for requiring masks in public spaces where physical distancing can't be followed. Masks are proven to reduce transmission.

People with underlying health conditions are at greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, so it is important for vulnerable residents to stay home as much as possible and to call their providers immediately if they have mild symptoms.

For more information, visit www.muni.org/COVID-19.

Applications Open for Municipality's Rent and Mortgage Assistance Pilot Program

Applications are open for the Municipality of Anchorage’s $1 million COVID-19 Rent and Mortgage Assistance Pilot Program, which will provide rent and mortgage support for individuals economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Municipality is partnering with United Way of Anchorage’s 2-1-1 to process and distribute the funds.

Anchorage residents are eligible to apply for assistance if they suffered a loss of income due to COVID-19. Applicants who were unemployed prior to March 12 or who lost employment for reasons other than COVID-19 are not eligible.

The financial assistance will help residents who have insufficient funds to pay rent beginning in April. The maximum financial assistance is $1,000 per household per month for two months for a total maximum assistance of $2,000 per household.

To apply, residents need to call 2-1-1 and answer a series of screening questions. Interpreters are available at 2-1-1 to provide translation services over the phone. All screened applicants will be contacted to set up an appointment. Applicants will need to bring a photo ID, a rental/lease agreement or mortgage statement, and a copy of their most recent paystub or self-employment identification. Rental or mortgage assistance will be made out directly to landlords or mortgage companies, not to renters or borrowers.

The application period will remain open until funds are exhausted or September 30, 2020, whichever comes first.

Community Events

Mark your calendars for this upcoming event:

House Finance Hearing on Alaska Small Business Pandemic Relief Funds

Follow along on akl.tv starting at 3:00 PM, today, Wednesday, June 17, as the House Finance Committee hears invited testimony on the status of COVID-19 relief funds provided by the state and federal governments. Officials from Alaska Regional Development Organizations, Small Business Development Center, Department of Law, and Legislative Legal Services are scheduled to testify.

Alaskans are encouraged to testify after the invited testimony, from 4:30-6:30 PM. Testimony is limited to two minutes per person, and participants should call in 30 minutes prior to the end of testimony.

Calling from Anchorage: 563-9085

Calling from Juneau: 586-9085

All other areas: 844-586-9085

For more information and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.

Town Hall with Mayor Berkowitz & the Anchorage Police Department

Mayor Berkowitz will be joined by Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll and Deputy Chief Kenneth McCoy for this virtual town hall. The hosting platform will be Microsoft Teams, and will be accessible beginning at 5:45 PM today by visiting www.muni.org/townhall. This will be the first of several community conversations.

Community input and questions are welcome throughout the town hall. Anchorage residents have a couple ways to participate:

1. The meeting will be accessible for viewing and online chat participation by visiting www.muni.org/townhall.

2. If residents would like to share comments or questions over the phone, they should email townhall@anchorageak.gov with their name and phone number by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17. During the meeting, members of the Mayor’s Office will call those who wish to comment or ask questions of the Mayor and the Anchorage Police Department. There will be a two-minute time limit for public comment.

This town hall is being held virtually to mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for attendees.

For more information and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.