In housing-strapped Juneau, CBJ grant program incentivizes new development

In February, the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly appropriated $480,000 to the CBJ Accessory Apartment Incentive Grant Program. The program provides $6,000 in grant funding for homeowners that add an accessory apartment to their home. Funding is intended to meet one of the goals of the Housing Action Plan – create new housing opportunities for the workforce, seniors and families in the community.

“With high cost and land constraints that make it difficult to develop housing in the community, this program really allows current homeowners to assist in meeting community housing needs. We’ve potentially added 80 new developers to help the cause over the next five years,” CBJ Chief Housing Officer Scott Ciambor said.

Funding is provided by the Juneau Affordable Housing Fund. CBJ investment into the program will be recovered over time through additional property taxes collected from added home value.

In 2015, $72,000 was made available for a pilot program. Twelve $6,000 grants were allocated on a first come, first serve basis through early 2017, resulting in 12 additional housing units in the community and an investment of more than $1 million in the local housing stock. The program was developed as a way to leverage the financial capacity of Juneau homeowners to produce more accessory apartment rental units at a cost that would be a fraction of the public investment needed to develop traditional affordable housing.

Applicants must be the property owner. Only new accessory apartments are eligible for the program. The grant award is made upon inspection and receipt of a certificate of occupancy, within one year of the issuance of a building permit. For more information on the program and to apply, go to the Housing Program webpage.

For more information, contact:
Brenwynne Grigg, Community Development Department, at 586-0766 or [email protected]
Scott Ciambor, Chief Housing Officer, at 586-0220 or [email protected]