Assembly calls for inquiry into leaked texts between city’s top homeless official and shelter contractors

4 months ago

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The Anchorage Assembly is calling for an investigation into nan city’s apical contractor for bum sheltering aft its chair obtained screenshots of group matter messages sent betwixt Henning Inc.’s apical executives and nan Bronson administration’s bum coordinator.

Among nan group texts highlighted in a packet distributed by Chair Christopher Constant astatine Tuesday’s Assembly meeting:

• A connection from 1 Henning worker who said, “We should make a station connected Facebook to promote each our friends and family connected Facebook to ballot for politician Bronson and station pictures of him moving pinch our group and lets do carrier for nan clients to spell ballot and promote group to registry to ballot erstwhile we do i/d connected Monday.”

• In a abstracted screenshot, Henning’s lawman head said they should “incentivize elector registration” pinch “cigs, java (and) autobus passes.”

• “Oh my gosh is this thread connected Alexis authorities phone?” Henning main executive Shawn Hays said successful 1 exchange, referring to Alexis Johnson, nan municipality’s apical homelessness official. “If it ever gets subpoenaed we’re each going to person to time off town.”

For their part, Assembly members said nan texts raise questions astir whether Henning unit whitethorn person attempted to entice bum clients to ballot for Mayor Dave Bronson successful nan metropolis election, and superior concerns astir really Henning is managing shelters.

“I deliberation there’s a batch that is disturbing successful nan archive that we person earlier america and rather concerning, peculiarly connected nan past page — an accusation that possibly this usability was incentivizing group to ballot pinch cigarettes and java and autobus passes, specifically for Mayor Bronson,” said Assembly personnel Daniel Volland.

‘Out of context’

In an question and reply Wednesday, 2 Henning executives said nan matter messages were taken “grossly retired of context” and denied doing thing unethical aliases forbidden successful operating shelters. They contradict that immoderate shelter residents were transported aliases fixed incentives to ballot for Bronson.

“The matter messages, I will admit, were unprofessional,” said Shawn Hays, nan laminitis of Henning Inc. “Sometimes we conscionable vent because nan activity is highly hard.”

They said nan adjacent reside of connection betwixt unit and Johnson reflects a narration forged nether stressful circumstances and is “like family.”

The Henning managers said Assembly members didn’t travel to them for an mentation earlier voting for an investigation.

“I would emotion for nan opportunity for (the Assembly) to beryllium down pinch america truthful we tin really talk astir immoderate things and not conscionable beryllium talked astir … successful beforehand of nan full metropolis astatine an Assembly meeting, pinch things being taken retired of context,” said Rob Seay, a head for nan organization.

In a written connection Wednesday, Bronson sided pinch Henning and Johnson, saying he was “concerned astir why nan messages were presented successful specified a measurement successful nan study to create a mendacious narrative.”

“Henning unit has worked intimately pinch Alexis and nan Health Department for 3 years,” nan connection continued. “They are family and they converse arsenic such. Of course, immoderate of nan things said could person been written successful a much mature aliases master manner, but erstwhile your activity becomes family, it’s earthy to go much relaxed.”

In a 10-0 ballot connected Tuesday night, nan Assembly passed a last-minute resolution that directs nan Anchorage Health Department head to behaviour a afloat reappraisal of each Henning, Inc. contracted operations, prioritizing nan East 56th Avenue Shelter “to guarantee Henning is successful compliance pinch MOA contracts and its ain policies and procedures.”

“Timeliness is essential,” said Constant. “If, successful fact, nan worst-case script is true, past we person susceptible clients being managed by group who we request to really understand what’s going on.”

He did not opportunity who sent him nan screenshots.

Henning’s history

Henning has handled overmuch of nan city’s emergency wintertime sheltering efforts complete nan past 2 years, including nan erstwhile wide shelter astatine Sullivan Arena.

It presently runs nan city’s 200-bed emergency shelter connected 56th Avenue successful a erstwhile Solid Waste Services administrative building, and is contracted for services successful metropolis shelters astatine nan Aviator and Alex Hotels. It besides operates a low-income lodging tract astatine nan city-owned erstwhile Golden Lion Hotel, and is simply a contractor nether a metropolis effort to location bum residents.

The metropolis says it has paid a full of $9,844,150.66 to Henning Inc. since it was formed successful 2021, including “pass through” funds, according to Johnson.

It’s unclear precisely erstwhile nan different matter messages were sent, and nan screenshots show parts of conversations but don’t see each context, specified arsenic really they began aliases ended. Johnson, Hays and Seay said nan messages were sent months apart, and displayed retired of chronological order. Johnson said nan messages were each sent connected her individual phone.

The messages see references to weapons — nan lawman head appears to joke astir utilizing boxing gloves connected a client, while different Henning worker says she is bringing her “glock.”

Seay, nan lawman director, contends nan boxing communicative and remark is really a reference to his past wont of driving successful Anchorage pinch a weapon successful his trunk, during a clip he says he was successful mediocre intelligence health. Seay said that he took up boxing astatine a gym instead, and nan reference is to a customer who wanted to effort going to that gym arsenic well.

The 2 statements successful nan matter messages astir encouraging group to ballot — nan 1 suggesting a Facebook station showing Bronson moving pinch bum clients, and nan different astir offering “cigs, java (and) autobus passes” — were not connected, Hays and Seay contend.

Johnson says successful 1 of nan matter messages that nan clip for elector registration is complete but that “if you get PFD you’re registered,” and said, “Now we conscionable request them to show up connected polling day.”

Hays said nan thought of posting photos of Bronson moving pinch unhoused clients was “wrong.” But she flatly denied that Henning engaged successful an organized effort to incentivize voting registration for shelter residents was immoderate effort to move retired nan ballot for Bronson.

“It didn’t happen,” she said.

Another matter thread includes Johnson telling Hays, “I sewage an Assembly solution pinch your sanction connected it if you succeed,” and, “Also I’m getting you nan 10% admin fee… We don’t activity for free.”

Johnson said nan reference is to Hays offering to do things for free. “Shawn ever wants to do things pro bono and astatine nan extremity of nan day, it’s not legal,” she said.

Hays later responds, “Oh my gosh is this thread connected Alexis authorities phone? If it ever gets subpoenaed we’re each going to person to time off town.”

She said Wednesday she was joking.

“The quality could look for illustration it’s inappropriate,” Hays said. “The measurement we look astatine it is, yeah, we are a family. I mean, we person each cried together … we person created a bond.”

The Assembly’s telephone for an investigation comes arsenic nan metropolis is besides seeking to support nan 56th Avenue shelter unfastened done nan summer.

The city’s 2 different wintertime shelter locations are shutting down, leaving hundreds of bum residents pinch obscurity to stay. The metropolis has estimated astir 900 group aliases much could beryllium surviving unsheltered successful Anchorage this summer.

Volland, nan Assembly member, said successful an question and reply connected Wednesday he was looking to nan wellness section for answers to whether nan explanations offered by Henning and Johnson are accurate.

“The accusation is that it’s not each conscionable jokes. I don’t know,” said Volland. “I don’t cognize really overmuch is conscionable banter. Or really serious, peculiarly astir nan incentivizing folks to vote.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Acting Health Department Director Kim Rash told nan Assembly a reappraisal of Henning will return astir 2 weeks.

This communicative has been republished pinch support from the original astatine nan Anchorage Daily News.

Source Alaska Public