EXCLUSIVE — Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson said the city’s proposal for a sanctioned homeless encampment will not be possible to implement, calling it “too little, too late.”
“Summer solstice is approaching, and before we know it, Anchorage days will become colder, and darker,” Bronson, a Republican, told the Washington Examiner. “What we will be left with is decommissioned sanctioned camps, no plans for winter, another record-setting year of outdoor deaths, and no money to fund the protection against this. We cannot let sanctioned camps be the shiny object that distracts us from actual year-round shelter.”
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The Anchorage Assembly asked the Bronson administration to consider opening a city-sanctioned homeless encampment with semi-permanent structures as a patch-over until the city can find a long-term solution to the city’s parks being “overrun,” a homeless challenge that is among the worst in the country.
City officials were keen on Washington-based company Pallet, which manufactures ready-made small shelters with no amenities and little storage, in order to encourage short-term use. While Bronson is supportive of the idea in theory, he says there is no time and no money in the budget to make the higher-tech camp happen this year.
It is not as simple as moving structures into empty real estate, Bronson explained. The site would require the city to bring in sanitation facilities, security, social services, and other amenities that cost more money than the baseline for the Pallet structures, which would only house 30 to 60 persons.
The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness counts 3,076 average “active” homeless persons in its end-of-month data as of May, which includes persons living on the streets, in shelters, and in temporary housing. According to Anchorage’s 2023 point-in-time data, 1,760 persons were living on the street or in overnight shelters in a population of about 290,000.
Anchorage’s rate of homelessness is high compared to other larger cities such as Indianapolis, which reported 1,761 homeless residents in a population of 882,039, and Baltimore, which reported 1,597 homeless residents in a population of 576,498.
“While the concept of these sanctioned camps and Pallet shelters may hold some feeling of euphoria for addressing homelessness in this moment, we must confront the realities of limited resources and funding,” Bronson said. “This is simply a Band-Aid on a bullet hole. Instead of embarking on an unrealistic endeavor this summer, let us prioritize emergency cold-weather shelter to protect vulnerable individuals this winter season. They deserve better.”
Anchorage must consider several dangers when addressing the issues presented by the homeless population.
Last year, the Bronson administration opened Centennial Park for camping, but the site had problems with violence, drug overdoses, and bears entering the grounds. Some in the city called it a “humanitarian crisis,” Bronson explained, but the mayor said that it shows the complexity of running a sanctioned camp.
He also said that, despite the “hiccups,” Centennial showed a proof-of-concept of a sanctioned site. “I saw the good that took place there and the lives that were changed for the better,” he said.
Bronson advocated the continued use of Centennial to include the necessary services, but he said his team was “laughed out of the room” by officials who cited the “humanitarian crisis” but who are now saying they want the Pallet camp.
Anchorage’s winters are also harsh, which is a major consideration for homeless shelters, as the climate can bring with it hypothermia, frostbite, and death. Last year, the city hit a record for the number of outdoor deaths, which Bronson said was “met with a shrug” despite freezing to death being the most “pressing” concern in his mind.
The city should look at establishing emergency cold weather shelters with the limited funding the city has, Bronson said, adding that his present focus would not preclude pursuing sanctioned camps or Pallet shelters.
“These emergency situations demand urgent action, and focusing on a year-round low barrier shelter that can raise its capacity during the emergency of cold weather is a far more achievable goal in the short term,” he explained. “An emergency cold weather shelter can be implemented quickly if we act now, but we must get out of our own way.”
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Alongside Anchorage’s homeless crisis sits one of the worst-in-the-nation epicenters for opioid use and overdoses. In 2021, Anchorage saw a record-breaking number of overdose-related deaths, spiking by 74%, and Alaska had the largest percentage increase in the country for such deaths.
According to Anchorage Daily News, the city’s school district saw at least 10 high school students overdose in less than one month. None of the students died, but they did require emergency attention.
