The Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness is focused on reducing and preventing homelessness in Alaska. It provides input on state and federal housing policy and administers several federal Department of Housing and Urban Development programs in the state. It also organizes an annual conference on these issues in Alaska that brings together various government and nongovernmental organizations. It has promoted the idea that housing should be considered a human right recognized in the Alaska state constitution. ^{1 2 3 4}

Founding and History

The Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness was founded as a group of faith-based and community organizations in 1989. Over time it was consulted by state and federal authorities on homelessness and housing policy. It eventually became an administrator of Department of Housing and Urban Development programs in the state. ^{5 3}

Finances

For the fiscal year ending in July of 2024, the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness reported $726,082 in revenue, almost all of which derived from contributions and grants. Of its $803,035 in expenses, $419,174 were spent on salaries and compensation, $95,312 on travel, and $12,406 on conferences and meetings. It ended the year with a loss of $76,953 and net assets of $363,926. ⁶

The coalition received $82,735 in government grants, making up 11 percent of its annual revenue. ⁷

The coalition is responsible for administering Department of Housing and Urban Development grants in all of Alaska outside Anchorage. However, these grants are directed directly from the department to recipient groups and are not treated as regranted by the coalition. In 2025 these administered grants amounted to $2,373,562. ²

Organization Philosophy

Alaska Coalition on Housing’s executive director, Brian Wilson, is on the record as arguing that housing is a human right and that increased government investment in providing housing and preventing homelessness is a sound and needed policy. ⁸

Projects and Initiatives

The Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness is the administrator of the Balance of State Continuum of Care program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This program covers all of Alaska other than Anchorage and administers the grant application system on behalf of HUD to distribute funds to maintain shelters and run programs aimed at preventing homelessness. The fiscal year 2024 program awarded $2,373,562 in grants, an 18 percent increase from the previous year. ^{1 2}

The coalition also maintains the Alaska Homeless Management Information System under contract from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This database is used to track information on the homeless population in Alaska based on inputs from participating organizations across the state. ¹

The coalition is also involved in Alaskan state homelessness policy planning, with it being cited several times in the 2025 Alaska Housing Finance Corporation Annual Action Plan on Consolidated Housing and Community Development. ³

Every year the coalition hosts an Alaska Housing Summit that brings together the various government, nonprofit, and other nongovernmental organizations working on the issue. Part of this involves information sharing on the various systems of applying for grants and reporting data. The 2025 conference notably included a speaker from the Alaska ACLU that discussed recognizing housing as a constitutional right in the Alaska Constitution. ⁴

Leadership

Brian Wilson is the executive director of the Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, a position he has held since 2016. Wilson has claimed that housing is a human right. ⁹

1. “What We Do.” Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.alaskahousing-homeless.org/what-we-do1.
2. “CoC Grant Program.” Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.alaskahousing-homeless.org/coc-grant.
3. “Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan for the State of Alaska.” Ahfc.us. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.ahfc.us/application/files/4417/1640/3276/FY_2025_ANNUAL_ACTION_PLAN_w_Appendix.pdf
4. “Housing Summit 2025.” Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.alaskahousing-homeless.org/housing-summit-2025.
5. “Keeping Alaskans Out of the Cold.” Ahfc.us. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.ahfc.us/application/files/6313/5698/3336/homeless_report_final_200510.pdf.
6. Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness. Return from an organization exempt from taxation (Form 990). 2024, Part I, IX.
7.  Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness. Return from an organization exempt from taxation (Form 990). 2024, Part IX.
8. Zaletel, Meg, and Brian Wilson. “Housing Shouldn’t Be a Political Issue — It’s a Human Right.” ACEH. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.aceh.org/news/housing-shouldnt-be-a-political-issue-its-a-human-right.
9. “Team Bios.” Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://www.alaskahousing-homeless.org/team-bios.