Anchorage, AK – Today, Mayor Dave Bronson announced the Municipality's Emergency Cold Weather Sheltering plan for the 2022-23 winter. As required by Anchorage Municipal Code (AMC)
16.120, the administration developed this plan to address emergency sheltering needs for individuals experiencing homelessness in our community. With winter around the corner, the administration made it a priority to have this plan in place prior to the first freeze up.
“It is our mission to ensure no one sleeps out in the cold this winter. Our Emergency Sheltering plan is comprehensive and relies on a variety of community partners to safeguard the most vulnerable among us,"
said Mayor Bronson. “I recognize we can't implement the full scope of the plan without help from the Assembly. To that end, I've committed to work with Assembly members to make the necessary code changes that will enable us to provide more than enough sheltering options for our unhoused neighbors."
The Municipality has developed a four-prong approach to emergency cold weather sheltering this winter. This framework aims to drive collaboration between the Municipality, key stakeholders, and organizations in the homelessness response sectors such as emergency management and public health authorities, who play an important role in the winter sheltering response.
The Municipality's plan entails the following approaches:
- Use up to 20 portable self-contained buildings provided to the Municipality, at no-cost by a community partner, as cold weather shelters. These 900-1000 square foot buildings will be placed at selected site(s) and have the potential to shelter 200-240 individuals.
- Develop a program to provide micro-grants to churches, non-profits, and organizations throughout Anchorage who elect to become emergency shelter sites. These micro-grants will be funded by the Municipality.
- Provide funding to extend operations at the Aviator Hotel as a non-congregate site through the end of December, with the option to extend through April.
- Use Municipality buildings as emergency shelter sites. The Spenard Recreation Center and Fairview Recreation Center have been selected as MOA emergency shelter sites. Using these buildings is the least preferred option identified by the Municipality. If portable self-contained buildings do not become available through necessary code changes, these sites will be activated from October – April.
The administration has proposed a code change for the Assembly's consideration, to allow the use of portable self-contained buildings as emergency shelters. The administration has discussed this proposal with the Chairman of the Housing and Homeless Committee and believes this is the best option to provide the largest amount of shelter space this winter. Furthermore, the administration looks forward to working with the Assembly to identify funding sources to continue housing roughly 200 individuals at the Aviator Hotel.
Additionally, with the MOA funded Navigation Center expected to come online soon, another 150 beds, with the potential to surge up to 200 beds, will be available this winter. This purpose-built facility will play a key role in connecting individuals to services, treatment, job training, and permanent housing.
The Municipality will place individuals in MOA buildings as a last resort if enough shelter space is not available in the community. If all shelter options have been exhausted the MOA will provide shelter for up to 100 women and children at the Spenard Recreation Center, and up to 100 single adults at the Fairview Recreation Center.
The entire Emergency Cold Weather Sheltering Plan can be found
here. An application process will open soon for the micro-grant program. Churches, agencies, non-profits, and entities seeking to become an emergency shelter this winter can apply and learn more about that process
here.
These options are not an exhaustive list. The administration made a good faith effort to develop a comprehensive emergency shelter plan. We look forward to the community's feedback, and recommendations put forward by the Emergency Cold Weather Shelter Plan Task Force led by the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness. Through this collaborative work we look to achieve the goal of ensuring no one sleeps outside this winter.
Media
Contacts: Hans Rodvik, Deputy Communications Director,
hans.rodvik@anchorageak.gov, 907-570-6646
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