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Bill to add housing plans to municipal comprehensive plans introduced; sponsor seeks technical fix
Summary
Sen. Forrest Dunbar told the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee on Feb. 4 that Senate Bill 50 would add "housing plan" as an optional component municipalities may include in comprehensive plans under AS 29.40.030(a).
Vice Chair Forrest Dunbar introduced Senate Bill 50 to the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee on Feb. 4, 2025, proposing a change to AS 29.40.030(a) to include a housing plan among the components that municipalities may include in their comprehensive plans.
"What this bill does specifically is add a housing plan, to those comprehensive plans," Sen. Dunbar said. He emphasized the change is not mandatory: the bill would encourage municipalities to include housing as part of their next comprehensive-plan update rather than require immediate revisions.
Two invited witnesses told the committee they support the bill. Anna Brawley, an Anchorage Assembly member and planning professional, said comprehensive plans provide a 20-year road map and that explicitly elevating housing helps communities set long-term goals and secure public support for implementation. "Comprehensive plans are intended to be a big picture, wide ranging plan that cover a number of topics," Brawley said. She noted statute indicates a 20-year update cycle and that communities might address housing through a full plan update, a supplemental plan, updated data, or by reprioritizing strategies.
Claire Lubcke, Economic Justice Lead at the Alaska Public Interest Research Group (ACPIRG), said the bill would help keep housing needs visible in public discussion and make local decision‑making on multifamily and affordable housing more transparent. "Barriers and solutions to abundant housing will vary from community to community, which is why local engagement is so important," Lubcke said.
Sen. Dunbar told the committee the bill amends AS 29.40.030(a). He also noted that legislative legal staff removed a phrase, "but is not limited to," as a clean-up step; two organizations, including the Alaska Municipal League (AML), expressed concern that deleting that language could be misread as limiting. Dunbar said he intends to request a committee substitute (CS) to restore clarifying language.
The committee did not take formal action on SB 50 at this hearing; the sponsor said staff will work with the committee on a small technical amendment and the bill will be brought forward at a future meeting.
No votes were recorded during the Feb. 4 hearing on SB 50.
