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Committee advances bill encouraging municipal housing development plans
Summary
The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee voted to report Senate Bill 50 from committee after adopting a friendly amendment to clarify the text as a "housing development plan." Supporters said the change encourages municipalities to coordinate land, infrastructure and other elements to increase housing supply.
At a March 7, 2025 hearing in Juneau, the Alaska Senate Labor and Commerce Committee advanced Senate Bill 50, which encourages municipalities to include a housing development plan as an element of their comprehensive plans.
The bill adds a new element to the statutory description of municipal comprehensive plans (referred to in the hearing as Title 20.9), asking municipalities to consider housing development as part of local planning. Halen Behnken, staff to Senator Dunbar and the bill’s presenter, described the measure as "a very simple bill" that encourages locally driven solutions to increase housing supply.
Senator Yount offered a friendly amendment to insert the word "development" between "housing" and "plan" so the language reads "housing development plan." Senator Dunbar said he did not oppose the clarification and that the amendment helps signal the committee’s intent to promote housing construction rather than restrict it. The committee adopted the conceptual amendment and incorporated it into the bill text.
Michelle Brown, representing Housing Alaskans Public Private Partnership, testified in support. Brown said local governments are best positioned to align land acquisition, infrastructure, transportation, workforce and zoning, and that locally driven plans help community priorities coalesce and attract investment. "For housing to happen, there are many critical aspects that have to align ... turn to local government who really has the ability to pull those all of different aspects together and align them," Brown said.
After public testimony and brief committee discussion, Senator Dunbar moved to report Senate Bill 50 from committee with individual recommendations and an attached zero fiscal note, granting legislative legal staff authority to make technical and conforming changes. The motion carried by voice vote with no recorded roll call in the transcript. The committee signed the paperwork and the bill moved from committee.
The committee record notes Senator Kelly Merrick joined the meeting by phone during consideration. The committee will continue other scheduled business at later meetings.
