Micro units, designated parking, cameras in Town Square Park part of Anchorage plan to tackle homelessness
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Municipality of Anchorage will beef up enforcement around people who camp on public lands, according to Mayor Suzanne LaFrance who held a public meeting at City Hall on Wednesday.
About 30 people attended the meeting to hear what LaFrance and Police Chief Sean Case had to say about how the city will address homelessness going forward.
“We are continuing to step up enforcement so people know that choosing to stay indefinitely on a piece of public land is not an option, and will result in frequent, routine, and uncomfortable contact with police for those who threaten public safety,” the mayor wrote in a release prior to the meeting.
LaFrance said on Wednesday the city will concentrate efforts in five areas: abatement, enforcement, crisis care, shelter, and housing, adding increased enforcement will include theft, trespassing, and drug crimes.
“I want our public spaces to be safe for everyone,” the mayor said. “I want people to feel like their children can play without worry in parks. I know many people are concerned and frustrated, and I am here to tell you that we are taking action and we are making progress, and we are going to continue to make progress. And yes, it is going to take some time.”
Some in the crowd expressed frustration at how long it’s already taken, including Denise Elsenbast, a lifelong Alaskan and Anchorage resident.
“They are all humans in these camps, they need help, but that does not mean we have to as taxpayers endure this out-of-control criminal activity,“ she said. ”They’re picking up things that are not nailed down in people’s yards, businesses, we see it every day. And we are just paying too much in taxes for things to be this out of control.”
According to the administration, 23 homeless camps have been abated since LaFrance took office in July of last year. The plan is to continue abatements — including Davis Park in Mountain View — which community members have repeatedly called for, stressing public safety concerns.
During Wednesday’s meeting LaFrance repeated her statement that the the abatement of Davis Park will happen in early summer but still did not give a specific date.
One measure happening soon involves installing cameras in Town Square Park which Police Chief Sean Case said could help address the high number of police calls to the area and cut down on inappropriate behavior in the park. Case said APD would be monitoring the cameras which have been ordered but not yet arrived.
The municipality said in its release it is also working on several pilot projects, including:
- Microunits: “Transitional housing for people who are unsheltered and want to begin recovery from addiction and mental illness. The first phase will have 24 microunits on municipal property, operated by a community behavioral health provider. Our goal is to launch by the end of the summer,” according to the release.
- Designated Parking: “We will operate a municipally owned site with space for about 50 vehicles from June-October as a safe night-time option for people living in their cars. Vehicles must be roadworthy, and residents must have a valid driver’s license. The site will be operated by a contractor who can offer security and facilities including bathrooms and showers,” according to the release.
Offering year-round shelter and more housing is also a focus of the plan.
On Wednesday, the city announced $5.5 million available in rental assistance, which can be used to help keep people in housing or help people transition from shelter to housing.
People who may qualify must make less than 80% of the area median income, experience housing insecurity, and must have have experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19. Eligibility can be checked online.
More information on rental assistance is available here, or by calling 211.
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