by The Associated Press
Last Updated Apr 6, 2021 at 11:09 am ADT
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Anchorage officials said a new five-unit condo development built on a busy street near downtown represents an urban planning experiment that could ease the city’s housing shortage.
The two-story units have been listed on the market for $224,000 or less close to half the price of the average home-sale price in the city, the Anchorage Daily News reported last Sunday.
Structural engineer Seth Andersen built the development in the neighbourhood where he lives and said he did not expect to make any money by selling them.
Instead, he and his wife Bonnie DeArmoun built the homes to determine if they could create affordable housing in the city’s core, Andersen said. Andersen, a former Anchorage Planning and Zoning commissioner, calls himself a “hobbyist” developer.
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New ‘cottages’ near downtown Anchorage seen as one possible solution to city’s housing shortage Published 1 day ago
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Print article A clutch of small new houses on a busy street near downtown offer what city officials say is a rarity new home ownership opportunities at relatively low prices in the heart of Anchorage. At 840 square feet or less, the five tightly aligned, two-story units at 11th Avenue and Cordova Street aren’t much bigger than a typical one-bedroom apartment. City officials say the houses represent an experiment in urban planning that might help address Anchorage’s housing shortage. They’re listed for $224,000 or less, close to half the price of the average home-sale price in the city. Homeowner dues for maintenance like snow removal would add a monthly cost.