Anchorage scrambles to find enough housing for the homeless before the Alaska winter sets in
Now, with the first snow just weeks away, those free tickets are nowhere in sight and the city is scrambling to pull together a grab bag of housing options for its more than 3,000 unsheltered residents. The city’s mass shelter in a sports arena closed after complaints from neighbors about bad behavior and bickering between the city’s liberal Assembly and conservative mayor killed hopes for a new permanent shelter and navigation center to take its place.
The Anchorage Assembly just approved $4 million in funds and will vote on additional elements of an emergency plan next week. City leaders — who estimate they still need to find up to 450 winter beds — say they are confident they have enough emergency housing ready, but the mood on the streets is grim.
“A lot of people are going to freeze,” said Scott Gibson, who is preparing to spend his second Alaska winter outside. Someone recently destroyed Gibson’s tent and stole most of what was inside. Now everything he owns fits in a backpack.
