2025 Housing Summit Report

saggioak
2 days ago
2 min read

The Anchorage Home Builders Association hosted its annual Housing Summit “Building a Brighter Future,” on Oct. 8, 2025. Local, state and national leaders gathered to spotlight the complex challenges facing Alaska’s homebuilding industry, as well as deliver important insight on what to expect in the coming months.

This year’s guest speakers included U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan; Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance; Connie Yoshimura, owner and broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices; and Steve Larson, executive director, mortgage and RE lending at Global FCU, and president of Global CU Home Loans.

Robert Dietz, Ph.D., and chief economist for the National Home Builders Association, returned as the keynote speaker. “Building materials are a greater challenge (in Alaska),” said Dietz, “Some of the things we’re hoping for in terms of policy improvement—regulatory reforms, improvements with the skilled labor force—have a particularly positive impact for Alaska.”

Nearly every aspect of the housing market has gone up since 2020. Across the U.S., housing prices are up 55%. In Anchorage, prices have increased 42%. Insurance premiums also cost more, increasing 25% since the pandemic. Additionally, the cost of building materials has also surged. Most recently, tariffs have increased the cost of imported building materials by 7.3%. Transformers are up 71% and gypsum building is up nearly 50%. However, one bright spot is that in September, lumber fell to its lowest price in the last 12 months.

Regulatory costs continue to be a significant price driver, adding roughly $94,000 to the cost of a new home. That’s why AHBA and its members continue to advocate for eliminating excessive regulations and are pushing reasonable and cost-effective building codes.

The residential construction industry’s skilled labor shortage also persists. Dietz reported that the economic impact is estimated to be $10 billion annually. AHBA is fighting back against this shortage by hosting the AK Hiring Trades Expo in an effort to connect employers with employees and showcase the many benefits of working in residential construction.

NAHB expects the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this year, a move that could make homeownership more affordable in the coming months. Dietz says if the trend holds, more Alaskans could be in the market to buy homes by 2027.

Thank you to our sponsors: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alaska Realty, Global FCU, Nuvision Credit Union, First National Bank of Alaska and Northrim Bank.

Robert Dietz, NAHB, Presentation:

Steve Larson, Global Credit Union, Presentation:

Senator Dan Sullivan Presentation: