Anchorage Observation

This year like many in the past has shown us that there are more homeless and ‘street people’ than years past.  It is a problem with no easy solutions.  Several years ago the company I worked for built a new state of the art shelter called Brother Francis shelter which is next door to Bean’s Café which we remodeled the year before.  Both handle feeding and housing those in need of a hand.  Many have given up on life and go through the motions of hanging out all day waiting for the next meal or place to sleep.  Mixed into this counter culture are families and children.  Sad but true.

One of the major problems here in Alaska is we have extreme conditions that can kill you quickly even when properly prepared for it but leaves little chance when you are intoxicated and not 100% ready for survival.  Each year we have many deaths, and last year I think I wrote about it raining men as one after another seemed to fall out of the sky being frozen to death.  This year was similar as both men and women were found in all kinds of places and died from the elements with many having empty liquor bottle or Listerine bottles found next to them.  Yes . . . Listerine’s alcohol content is 26.9% which makes it about 54 proof.  When the liquor stores are closed or they have been cut off that seems to be the next drink of choice.

I see the mayor of Anchorage has a plan for the homeless camps: reduce deaths, reduce violence, and reduce the negative impacts of the camps.

I'm floored by the insight of the plan.  Thanks for the obvious.

You want to fix the problem?  Get people out of there and get them into proper shelter.  Give them jobs sweeping or cleaning up the street during summer or shoveling snow in winter.

Workfare instead of welfare.

Get them off the streets and help them with their addictions.  That's the cure.  We could do what they have in other states . . . take seized homes, fix them up, and make them halfway houses.  Go out and ask for people to donate equipment and time.  You would probably be amazed at the response. Asking a committee of 30 or more people to “investigate and come up with some ideas for a solution” is a total waste of time and taxpayer dollars.  Help now before the winter hits or we'll be finding frozen bodies again come winter.

A battle is heating up in Fairview over a plan by a private social agency to turn the Red Roof Inn into a permanent home for street alcoholics who can't stop drinking.  Dubbed Red Nose Inn by some who have placed signs around the area, the motel sits between Fifth and Sixth Avenues along Karluk Street.  RuralCAP, which already runs Homeward Bound, a residential program for chronic homeless alcoholics, has named its new project Karluk Manor.  Time will tell how it will fare with the public.

There are tent ‘clusters’ scattered around the city and depending on location and the problems by the residents there is a push to move them to other areas.  It would help to give them services in exchange for doing some meaningful work which helps out depression and self esteem.  Most will continue to drink but if the situation changes studies have shown the drinking and health issues drop.

We have a problem here with no easy solutions but with everyone’s help including those experiencing the hard times maybe we can find a workable idea that helps everyone’s needs or agenda.

Ice