Anchorage, AK – The Legislative Drafting Group and Bronson Administration issued the following statement:
“The Bronson Administration and the Anchorage Assembly Legislative Drafting Group are pleased to take the next step together to solve homelessness in our community. In partnership, the Bronson Administration and Legislative Drafting Group presented a draft proposal to exit the Sullivan Arena and systematically bring compassionate care to our residents experiencing homelessness. The strategy involves housing, transitional housing, supportive housing, treatment, and navigation centers among other initiatives. It calls for a 'no wrong door' approach with services tailored to individual needs. This proposal is the result of literally hundreds of collective hours of consultation, research, and cooperative collaboration between the Administration and Assembly members. Anchorage can be proud of the proposed plan and the process to produce it."
- This is a Client/Community focused approach tailored to support individual needs.
- This draft proposal aligns and continues the strategies outlined in the Anchored Home Plan.
- Transitional housing, supportive housing, treatment, specialized care for the medically fragile and seniors will all be built/established in parallel efforts.
- This collaborative success hopes to reenergize past and current public private partnerships and create new opportunities.
- We published the Boutet Company engineering report, evaluating potential options to move mass care operations out of Sullivan as soon as feasible; but there is a need to stay in Sullivan until there is a working alternative, which we commit to develop immediately and swiftly.
- An extensive list of more than 70 potential sites was identified and screened, with the 5 alternative sites further evaluated individually or in combination for mass care for the upcoming winter including:
- Sullivan Arena (Base Case)
- 3330 Denali (Johnsons Tire)
- 550 Bragaw (vacant building on 7 acres)
- 630 E Tudor (former Alaska Club)
- Tudor / Elmore current evidence lot
- Tudor / Elmore Development Site
- Screening criteria included availability, onsite and available utilities, ability to configure for congregate care, avoidance of areas with existing high density of mass care operations, conflicts with adjacent land uses, existing knowledge of extensive facility damage or repair needs.
- Making sure facilities will continue to be distributed around the community and they will be 24/7, and will include surge capacity, outreach, transportation, and engagement.
- Costs will be defined as locations and facility designs are finalized.
- Multiple funding sources have been identified. Focusing facilities on particular populations is expected to open new sustainable funding sources.
- An RFI will be published on October 7 seeking additional possible sites for homeless services identified in the exit strategy to make sure none have been missed during the collaboration process.
Media Contact:
Corey Allen Young, Communications Director, Mayor's Office, corey.young@anchorageak.gov, 907-229-4150
Chris Constant, Anchorage Municipal Assembly, District 1/Legislative Drafting Group, christopher.constant@anchorageak.gov, 907-343-4112
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