KCAW Staff, Author at KCAW

Sitka’s getting its largest apartment complex in over two decades. But the developer says it doesn’t pencil out.

When land is scarce, one way to make housing more affordable is to increase density by building apartment complexes and multi-family homes. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to work. In Sitka, the largest apartment building in over two decades is going up, but the ten units will be more costly than the market average. A developer behind the project says the economics just don’t pencil out.

SEARHC’s ‘Move for a Cause’ campaign encourages hiking, biking, walking and running in May

Throughout the month of May, SEARHC is inviting community members to hike, bike, walk or run for a cause. Health educators Heleena Van Veen and Doug Osborne joined KCAW's Peter Apathy to discuss the campaign.

New federal program to help remote Alaska communities with renewable energy infrastructure

Concerns around energy independence and high costs have led many places in rural Alaska to look for renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. The Department of Energy recently announced a new program to help remote communities find clean energy solutions. The Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project or ETIPP will help five Alaska towns explore everything from hybrid fishing vessels to reducing reliance on diesel.

ADUs could make Sitka’s housing more affordable. Advocates want to make them easier to build.

Whether you rent or buy, housing in Sitka is expensive--median home values and rent prices are consistently among the highest in the state. So, some Sitkans are adding cabins and mother-in-law apartments to their properties to help pay their mortgages and expand Sitka’s tight rental market. Affordable housing advocates want the city to make so-called “Accessory Dwelling Units,” or ADUs, easier to build.