Anchorage preps private rooms to shelter 500 people this winter

Farina Brown, typical adjunct to Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance connected homelessness and health, speaks to reporters astatine nan Anchorage Fire Department Regional Training Center connected Sept. 18, 2024. (Wesley Early/AKPM)

Anchorage officials are adjacent to approving a statement to supply backstage rooms for up to 500 group without homes to usage arsenic emergency shelter this winter. 

That astir apt sounds familiar. This will beryllium nan city’s third wintertime successful a row paying for backstage rooms to beryllium utilized arsenic portion of a seasonal, wintertime shelter system. It’s a measurement to support group from losing limbs aliases freezing to death outside, and perchance get susceptible group connected a way to unchangeable housing. But for others, it’s besides go a cycle of placement, displacement and tragedy. 

But this time, location will beryllium importantly much of these beds, for a importantly smaller target population. Local homelessness work providers activity together to support information astir who needs what. They now estimate nan number of group surviving retired of tents, cars aliases different situations considered “unsheltered” successful Anchorage is astir 500.

“While nan visibility of homelessness often takes our attraction to nan immediate, past twelvemonth astatine this time, we were looking astatine nan request for astir 900 beds,” Farina Brown, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s typical adjunct connected homelessness and health, told an Assembly committee past month. “So there’s been important advancement that’s been made complete clip and we dream to proceed that momentum.”

On Wednesday, nan Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness’s Chief Operations Officer Jessica Parks was excited to stock data updated done nan extremity of August astir nan wide number of group experiencing homelessness successful nan city, sheltered aliases otherwise.

“So we are continuing to spot nan inclination of that number of group experiencing homelessness going down each month,” Parks said. “So we now person had 9 consecutive months of outflow exceeding inflow.”

And yet, Assembly personnel Anna Brawley, said there’s a conception that homelessness continues to get worse successful Anchorage. 

“I deliberation group consciousness for illustration it is worse,” she said. “So I’m trying to quadrate those 2 things, ‘cause I deliberation people’s cognition is reality to immoderate extent, but it’s not matching up to what nan existent communicative is.” 

Parks said portion of nan mismatch whitethorn beryllium because past summer, astir group surviving outdoors concentrated themselves into a fewer ample encampments. Earlier this year, nan Anchorage Assembly passed a measurement that set a soft limit of 25 tents astatine a azygous location, truthful now location are many, smaller encampments dispersed out. 

“Not everybody who is extracurricular connected nan sidewalk is experiencing homelessness,” Parks added. “Our thoroughfare outreach teams often brushwood group who do person housing, and they are conscionable outside. They are successful nan park, they are hanging retired outside.”

Brown said nan alteration will proceed to beryllium incremental. She outlined nan administration’s evolving strategy to reside homelessness done shelter, wellness care, housing, various partnerships and data-informed decision-making. 

Providers cognize that immoderate of that information shows that sheltering successful a backstage room leads to amended outcomes than sheltering successful a wide mounting aliases living outdoors.

City purchasing officials want to grant a contract worthy up to $9,177,800 to nan nonprofit Henning Inc. to tally nan city’s backstage shelter rooms this winter. Final support from nan Anchorage Assembly is expected astatine its regular gathering connected Tuesday.

Details for illustration nan circumstantial locations aren’t nationalist yet. However, the city’s database of requirements see providing safe, backstage abstraction for up to 2 group per room, support services to thief users modulation to imperishable housing, and pet sheltering for work and affectional support animals. Meals are besides expected to beryllium provided connected tract done a abstracted vendor. 

Last winter, Henning had a akin contract, but for less people. It ran rooms for up to 374 group successful 2 section hotels to service arsenic temporary, acold upwind emergency shelters. 

Henning has besides been running nan city’s 200-bed, low-barrier, wide shelter successful nan Midtown area. It first opened past autumn arsenic a impermanent wintertime shelter. Earlier this year, authorities lawmakers set speech $4 million to support it moving until this fall. The metropolis is besides reviewing new statement proposals to support it going done astatine slightest adjacent April.