AAHA Elects New President to Unify Alaska’s Housing Entities

JUNEAU, January 24, 2006 – Dr. Blake Y. Kazama, President/CEO of Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority (THRHA) was unanimously elected president of the Alaska Association of Housing Authorities (AAHA) at its recent annual meeting.

Dr. Kazama will be working to unify the Alaska’s housing entities to address the re-authorization of the Native American Housing Assistance Self Determination Act (NAHASDA). NAHASDA is the funding vehicle that provides needs-based housing programs for Tribal members through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 2007 Congress will decide whether or not NAHASDA is successful and to continue with the program.

“Alaska needs to showcase its many positive programs, the number of units built, purchased, repaired, and the number of jobs provided,” said Dr. Kazama. “Alaska is one of the top builders in the Nation, in spite of high building costs and extreme building conditions, especially in rural communities.”

AAHA is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation whose mission is to provide a range of programs and services, all geared toward increasing the supply of safe, sanitary and affordable housing. Its board of directors includes the executive directors of Alaska's fifteen regional housing authorities and the executive director of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the state's housing finance agency. AAHA business office is located in Anchorage.

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