Five year-old Acacia Johnson looks out the window of her soon-to-be bedroom, in her family’s Habitat house in Fairbanks.

The View From Alaska
Habitat families in the 49th state see a brighter future.

Photos by Ezra Millstein

Slide Show

Alaska truly is the land of extremes. The state features the highest mountain peak in North America, Mount McKinley; it is full of moose, which are the largest species of deer, standing as tall as 8 feet; and its Prospect Creek claims the lowest temperature ever recorded in the United States, 80 below zero.

Such harsh winters mean that Alaska’s building season is brief, but the need for housing is great. Alaska is home to six Habitat affiliates, including Greater Fairbanks Area Habitat and Habitat Anchorage.

“There are more than 30,000 people in Anchorage that are living in substandard conditions,” says Jim Fredrick, executive director of Habitat Anchorage. “This means those folks, mostly families, are living in housing that is too small for the family size.

“Our partner families,” he continues, “help build themselves simple, decent housing that is not only safe, durable and adequately sized, but energy efficient as well. A common result of stable, adequate housing is improved performance in school for the children and an increased sense of pride in the whole family, which results in better communities.”