Senior Housing and LIfe in Homer (Metlakatla: 2015, home, income)

[War Beagle]

Homer is a unique mix of hippies and the more traditional conservative/libertarian alaskans. I was there last february. At the time there was a big marijuana advocate on the city council but I think he got voted off. I dont recall there being public transportation; if it exists it was pretty weak. Lots of trucks and Subarus.

I believe there was at least one organic food store and there is a farmers market. No whole foods and very few chain stores or restaurants of any kind. There is at least one Mexican restaurant (that wasnt good) and other restaurants that serve some Mexican dishes. There is a lot of art and more hippie types than in most of alaska.

The weather when I was there was 20s and 30s and i was told it had been a very mild winter. Most of the time I was told there is a lot of snow. Look at the data.

Moving anywhere in AK is a bad idea if your only income source is SS. Housing, food and transportation are all very expensive. Housing can be hard to find period, let alone affordable housing.

I'm eith the others in suggesting you look at the Pacific NW from Humboldt County in CA up through western OR and WA. You'll find a stronger hippie-dippie, weed-smoking culture at a cheaper price with milder weather.

And what the hell is an emotional support dog? Is that so special snowflakes can have their dog nearby in case they can't find an emotional safe space? I love my dogs as much as anyone, but that is just too much.

[Metlakatla]

The problem with renting a room in a small town like Homer is that you won't have many options if the situation somehow goes south. Senior-designated housing is in short supply all over the state. The Section 8 process looks fairly uncomplicated, but I have no first or second hand knowledge of it.

How to Qualify and Apply for Alaska Section 8

Both medical and recreational marijuana are legal in Alaska. Same thing with both Oregon and Washington. Oregon, outside of the Portland metro area, Ashland, or Bend, probably offers the least expensive options.

[Aery11]

I would be very surprised if Whole Foods would put in a store in a town of 5k people at the very end of the road in the far north. They so far have not seen fit to put one in anywhere in AK at all.


I don't know Homer - but I do know the north - and I second the motion that you reconsider moving to Oregon or somewhere in that vicinity. Why you would even think that it would be a good idea to move from South America to the far north with absolutely no northern experience in your past and no money in your pocket (and probably no way to earn more either) .. is beyond me. Perhaps those coca leaves are stronger than I thought?

[Metlakatla]

Look, we're talking about a senior lady here. Some of these comments are unnecessarily harsh. She's just trying to get information. Homer does give the impression of being some sort of alternative lifestyle paradise, even though I suspect that's mostly on the surface.

[Frostnip]

Rental prices in Alaska are exorbitant even for very modest accommodations and Section 8 is extremely limited outside of Anchorage. (And I guarantee Los Anchorage is not what you're looking for.) There are just not very many rentals available so landlords are able to charge a premium. As far as rooms go...maybe. From a houseowner looking to let a room's point of view, it's probably easier to milk a summer worker dry then have the house to yourself all winter, than to rent to a resident at a reasonable rate year-round.

It sucks but it is what it is. Building and maintenance are very expensive here due to climate conditions and the remoteness.

Homer is in the more temperate part of Alaska but it's still in Alaska. If things like year-round walkability and gardening are high on your wish list you may find yourself rather disappointed.

Homer is a chill town but IMO the vibe is much more "lazy fisherman" than "crunchy hippy."

You should be warned that toy/mini dogs in coastal Alaska are basically eagle food. There are so many birds of prey in the area and they are not a tiny bit shy.

I'm sorry that this post was kind of downer...just trying to make sure you have the facts before you make any decisions.

[AlaskaErik]

With just a small SS income, Alaska really isn't for you. There is no way to survive on that type of income. Your only hope in the US is California or Portland, Oregon, where you can get all kinds of public assistance and mass transit is readily available.

[Metlakatla]

Not at all. ^^^ Portland has become prohibitively expensive in recent years for anyone seeking low income housing or even middle-income housing, and it really isn't any more of a public assistance mecca than anywhere else in Oregon. It does have more services for homeless people than many other places, but this lady falls outside that particular demographic and hopefully will continue to do so. It's definitely not a viable destination for seniors on limited incomes.

[boulder2015]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Look, we're talking about a senior lady here. Some of these comments are unnecessarily harsh. She's just trying to get information. Homer does give the impression of being some sort of alternative lifestyle paradise, even though I suspect that's mostly on the surface.

I hear ya and honestly i think people are being MUCH nicer to her than if it was someone younger with such a bad idea. Also nobody wants to see this turn into a "help! I moved to homer and now im stuck here" thread. Also, note this womans poor prioritization of wanting something nice and scenic as opposed to SURVIVABLE. Hon, you cant afford scenic or cool or hip. Maybe look into someplace like berea kentucky? Cheap lots of hippies.

[Frostnip]

Well, it's not like she hopped a bus to Homer without first finding out whether it was livable. No harm in asking questions and as far as the kinds of questions the Alaska subforum attracts, this isn't even in the top one hundred for goofy. Life's too short to settle somewhere you don't like. Yeah, you can't eat scenery, but if you're gonna be broke you might as well be broke somewhere interesting. (Just...somewhere interesting with a low enough cost of living that you can at least be broke indoors and with three squares a day.) And the OP clearly gets that, hence questions about the availability of rentals, etc.

OP, I know you're retired, but I'm not sure HOW retired. If you're wanting to do the Alaska thing there's a lot of summer work here that includes room and board, and I imagine at least some of the employers would be happy to get an applicant who wasn't yet another dumb kid. Might be able to sock away some extra money summers, then snowbird somewhere cheaper on that and your SS income. Not sure how realistic that is for you, but just a thought.

['M']

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Look, we're talking about a senior lady here. Some of these comments are unnecessarily harsh. She's just trying to get information. Homer does give the impression of being some sort of alternative lifestyle paradise, even though I suspect that's mostly on the surface.

Thank you, Metlakatia....