Haines has a new place for people to go when looking for housing. It’s a Facebook group – Haines, AK – Rentals and Renters – aimed at helping renters in their housing search.
Haines’ rentals can vary in size and accommodations, but overall rents are increasing with high demand (Corinne Smith/KHNS)
Housing in Haines is notoriously difficult, both due to cost and a lack of availability. And, headed into the summer season that looks to be a boon for tourism, there is even more demand with many summer workers arriving in town.
Haines resident Emma Brouillette started the group as a place for both renters searching and rentals available. She’s eighteen years old, and is looking to move for the fourth time since graduating from Haines High.
“So I started up the group as sort of a support system and an information highway for renters specifically, and I encourage landlords to post there, because we’re all looking,” she said. “But I intended it as a place where we could sort of talk, and get the resources that we need.”
Brouillette says she hopes renters will be able to help each other, and share when their lease may be up and housing becomes available.
“A place where people could coordinate if this person’s leaving at that time, and that person’s like, also leaving at that time, it’s a good way for us to be able to swap when we need instead of having that desperate search and having no one respond,” Brouillette said.
The Facebook group grew quickly, to over one hundred members in its first few days. Brouillette says it’s exciting to see, but at the same it reaffirms that there’s a lot of need. She hopes the group can also provide a place for discussion and insight on Haines housing crisis.
“I’m hoping that we can all talk about it more,” she said. “So it’s not so much the elephant in the room, so that people can be made more aware of the struggle that we’re in so people are more willing to talk about their situation and get help instead of staying in that scary place.”
The new Facebook group is public and active now – you can find it here at Haines, AK – Rentals and Renters.
