Tribal IAQ Resource Directory: Alaska Resources

50% of houses in Alaska are relatively airtight and lack mechanical ventilation.

Alaska Tribes are adapting to IAQ impacts from environmental changes - navigating erosion, increased flooding, and wildfire smoke. Some villages are physically moving housing to safer locations.

Building designs are diverse in Alaska; homes in permafrost regions are typically built off the ground on pilings, and one study estimated future permafrost damage to infrastructure in the permafrost zones of Alaska to range from $37 billion to $51 billion.

Alaskan infants, in select regions, are hospitalized with lower respiratory tract infections at 10–15 times the rates for U.S. infants. Medical transport is often required for treatment.

Construction in rural Alaska is challenging and costly due to extreme weather and remoteness - most villages are only accessible by boat or plane. Erosion, flooding, and permafrost degradation constitute the three most significant natural hazard threats to infrastructure in rural Alaska communities.

56% of houses in Alaska have a moderately higher risk of moisture and indoor air quality issues, with some regions of Alaska reaching as high as 69% higher risk.