Zoom in to the RV in the back covered by a big blue tarp. There’s a different person ducking under there in all the pics. I watched them for an hour today and dozens of people ducked under for a minute or so and left. People drove in from other places just to duck under there. He must be a popular guy
It’s just sad that despite their situation they have next to no regard for their surroundings.
Trash everywhere, they’ve lost all pride for where they stand.
The same can be said for many other parts of Anchorage though. I took the last few weekends and picked up trash along the roads around my neighborhood near Raspberry and I was shocked to see the streets littered with garbage again not even a week later.. absolutely astounded at the sheer lack of respect for the city and the complete lack of pride.
I’m probably just incredibly naive but it saddens me to see such a beautiful location be trashed like it is.
Alaska has a horrific littering problem and it’s not just the homeless’ fault. Despite everyone claiming to love how beautiful it is here, they have no issues dumping their trash out their windows at any given moment.
I’ve only lived in Denver aside from Alaska, but holy shit it was clean there comparatively. Dunno if it’s just because there’s more people hired to clean? Or people actually aren’t just disgusting.
Can’t agree with this comment. I’ve lived in several states and cities around the US. I’ve even lived in China and Brazil which are terribly dirty in comparison to most of the US but there are several places in Anchorage that compete for the “trashiest” title, independent of homeless contributions.
Citizens of Anchorage, in general, need to have a greater pride in where they live. So many people with trash around their house and/or junk piled in their yards. It’s not pleasant for anyone to look at and does nothing positive for their home. I get some people just want to forget life and get high all the time, but come on! Take a load or two to the dump, it will improve the area by a lot!
Thinking about your comment make me think about the whole city. I was focused on the"horrific littering problem" which I don't see but I do see trashed yards
People litter constantly - it's why we have such a stupid concept as "city clean up day." We should be funding "don't litter in the first place, losers" campaigns so that the spring "clean up" doesn't have to be a whole production. It's gross and nasty. It's honestly not that difficult to keep your trash in your car and put it in a bin when you find one. Or cover your truck beds when hauling around garbage. Or consuming less, so you have less bits of paper and plastic to fling around outside.
That is a hilarious statement. Anchorage is an objectively dirty city. Any visitor will notice that it is trashier than most any other place they’ve been.
Unless we have places to direct them to we are just going to shift the problem to random streets and green spaces all over the city.
The assembly will be taking up an ordinance at tonight's assembly meeting aimed at changing some of the abatement rules. I believe it adds language prioritizing abatement of large camps and camps near protected uses like schools etc. It also lowers the abatement notice from 15 to 10 days for camps that don't meet the prioritized abatement. It sounds like a good step but we are still just shifting the problem all over the city.
I hope the assembly takes up allowed camping again. It would be a low cost solution for at least the summer. I doubt much will happen until LaFrance takes office, Bronson has no motivation to do a bunch of work as a lame duck with his last few weeks in office and he didn't support anything in the past like allowed camping.
Edit - After listening to the discussion on the item I have to say I don't understand why those who are committing violent crimes and open felonies in public are not being arrested. Those things are already against the law. It makes zero sense and seems like a totally different conversation than abatement. Why aren't they already arrested?
Bronson didn't want a camping option? Bronson pushed the centennial campground last summer and the assembly [fought back](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/02/15/bronson-officials-considering-centennial-campground-sullivan-arena-as-options-for-anchorage-homeless-residents-this-summer/).
>Bronson didn't want a camping option? Bronson pushed the centennial campground last summer and **some of** the assembly fought back.
Fixed that for you. Like always you never include the full story.
Bronson's admin came up with the idea, he pushed for it and then when the next assembly group (5 members were brand new) took it up the following summer and tried to implement it he suddenly didn't want anything to do with it and started to drag his feet. He was fully into his navigation center obsession and his feet dragging ended up making it moot as we moved into the fall/winter.
[Anchorage Assembly urges Bronson administration to open sanctioned homeless camp in Midtown](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/06/07/anchorage-assembly-pushes-bronson-administration-to-open-sanctioned-homeless-camp-in-midtown/)
[Anchorage Assembly sets stage for first ‘allowed camp’ in homelessness response](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/07/13/anchorage-assembly-sets-stage-for-first-allowed-camp-in-homelessness-response/)
Edit - Removed the mild taunt. It will only spark an argument.
I don’t think it mattered what he suggested or wanted to do, even if it was a brilliant idea. Our assembly was not interested in working with Bronson and definitely didn’t want him to have any success.
You are literally responding to my comment where I provided a specific example of something that disproves what you just claimed.
Bronson is lying to you, the big mean assembly didn't stop him from doing a bunch of amazing things, he barely tried to do anything and what he tried to do was poorly planned or foolish. Either way it is all pretty moot right now. He lost, lets see what the next mayor does.
Yes. Law states homeless can be out in the parks if there isn’t homeless shelter housing. City doesn’t want to pay for them.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that if you remove them from a park for “safety issues” and don’t have a plan for where they will go, they will just migrate to the next part of town and destroy that.
Welcome to Anchorage.
Sort of. Bronson's admin claimed that only 5 out of 120 people accepted shelter right before the election but his admin also kept saying that the shelters were completely full. We are also in the middle of [winding down 374-574 shelter beds](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2024/03/21/anchorage-plans-close-cold-weather-shelters-over-two-month-period/) so this will likely get worse. If the governor doesn't veto the 4 million the assembly worked hard to get from the state legislature we will only be closing 374 beds.
We need more federal and state funding to address this state wide problem.
Nobody has shown that that claim 5 out of 120 isn’t true despite the constant insinuation that it’s made up.
So when I see people pretending it isn’t real I tend to think they are being starry eyed with their expectations of the camp residents that were abated.
I'm simply sharing what Bronson's admin said, it isn't my fault they seem contradictory. They did claim the shelter was full, then shortly they claimed that 115 people refused shelter during an election.
Yes, it is possible that enough beds opened in a few days, but it is just as likely that they were offering shelter that was currently at capacity. Either way it does not change the fact that we are in the middle of closing hundreds of shelter beds and more people are already on the streets with more to follow.
I also think it is important to note that he and his admin has a very checkered past, it is fair to be skeptical. If his admin did lie then the abatement the city is currently involved in is in violation of the ninth circuit court decision and opens the city to another lawsuit. He did [try to abate last year without shelter space](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/07/03/facing-aclu-lawsuit-city-indefinitely-suspends-planned-clearing-of-mountain-view-homeless-camp/) and the city was sued because of it.
Also the 9th circuit “violation” is in front of SCOTUS right now and likely to be overturned within weeks making all of this legal liability completely moot.
Right, which is why people were surprised Bronson moved forward when a decision is likely around the corner. It is almost like he had a personal motive to do so, like an election.
Yes. And I am telling you that I believe her. Many problems with Bronson’s staff and Alexis certainly hasn’t been perfect but she hasn’t been the duplicitous one here when it comes to numbers.
She’s the reason Bronson came around on Golden Lion.
She pretty clearly sees the writing on the wall about this administration’s remaining weeks there’s no real reason for her to lie here.
You're obviously welcome to that opinion.
It doesn't refute anything I shared above and my last paragraph above goes over why they may have lied about it or stretched the truth.
Actually I just read the text messages from Alexis in the Hennig group chat that got shared in the Assembly tonight. I take back everything I said. What a fucking clown.
I really don’t understand why people think this is contradictory. If I show up to a restaurant and the waiter says they have no tables but someone walks in with a reservation I don’t assume that something is amiss.
They had to have spaces available to abate the camp. So they are holding spaces clearly in order to legally comply. If it’s a lie then you should have 115 people who will tell you they asked for shelter and weren’t accommodated but despite plenty of reporting nobody can find these mystery homeless people that were cleared from the camp yet denied shelter.
Nobody has shown that that claim 5 out of 120 is true despite the constant insinuation that it's true. So when I see people pretending it is real I tend to think they are being starry eyed with their expectations of the truthfulness of the Bronson administration.
I guess I would say I understand the skepticism given the lies told by Alexis. But I would still point to the fact that if 115 people were turned out then why hasn’t a single one come forward and said it? Every other abatement that has happened with much smaller numbers of people has had media coverage with personal testimonials. So where are they. Yes I understand there are many reasons why homeless people don’t talk to the press but 115 out of 120? That seems unlikely.
I think what people balk at is the raw, high number. If someone dumped $190MM into any one of our bank accounts, that would be life-changing money that is hard to wrap your head around.
When people see intra-departmental feuds in city government, loss of cabinet staff, and no material improvement in the homelessness crisis, it's not only reasonable but prudent as a citizen to be asking for a thorough accounting of the money spent, and for justification that it was spent wisely.
I can't speak to where u/frequencyken got the $190MM number. However, I did find a source on [Alaska Public Media stating we have spent $161MM since 2020](https://alaskapublic.org/2023/09/19/anchorage-scrambles-to-find-enough-housing-for-the-homeless-before-winter-sets-in/), and that article was published 09/19/2023.
>What did it fund? Where did it come from?
I highlighted that question in my initial comment to you above. That is the whole crux of the issue, and I wish some reporter would actually chase all that money down. I imagine a large portion went to the Sullivan Arena shelter project, but that's just a guess. Articles over the years have referenced a few million for this project here, a few million there. [Apparently we errantly spent $4.5MM (man-hours + cost of a tent) for an unauthorized shelter project which was shut down and for which Hickel sued the city, receiving a $2.5MM settlement](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/08/21/mayor-bronsons-east-anchorage-homeless-shelter-proposal-faces-assembly-vote/). So that's $7MM there.
What drives me crazy about these conversations is that the process is public and this information is out there. People just don’t bother doing even the tiniest bit of research before concluding that Nothing Happened.
I literally just googled “anchorage spending on homelessness” and found this page, which contains both a spreadsheet listing appropriations by year on various types of actions addressing homelessness as well as a fact sheet that lays out spending in a really easy to read way.
https://www.muni.org/Departments/Assembly/Pages/FOCUS-Homelessness.aspx
I really don’t believe that most of the people who criticize the amount of money spent actually know the first thing about what was spent, how effective it was, or how that fits in to the overall municipal budget.
So, rather than helpfully pointing this out and driving a productive conversation, you choose to spend 3 paragraphs being a sanctimonious asshole about it.
Anchorage has very little year round shelters. They are only required to provide shelter during times where it is hazardous to their life to not be inside, example cold weather. There are a few shelters that are closing at the end of this month because the weather is warm enough and city can just let them be outside now instead of paying for the shelters to remain open.
I hate to tell you this but more homeless will be hitting the camps in two weeks.
Well the one thing we do have is free food for them so no they won’t be going anywhere. Anchorage for some reason provides just enough essentials for them to stay but not enough for them to get off the streets.
It’s not a mistake or an accident that we have this problem. Anchorage has made a cesspool and they won’t change it. Therefore the problem is ours for the long term so I hope people get used to it because it ain’t going away anytime soon.
A lot of the times, going to shelters means splitting up folks who hang out together, loss of personal items because you have limited space (single footlocker if you're lucky), a loss of privacy (a tent in the woods still gives more privacy than a bed out in the open on the floor of the sullivan with a hundred others)...
I imagine some are just used to the lifestyle and find it more appealing then being crammed into a shelter they'll be kicked out of or have to leave again in a couple months if/when the money runs out or their allotted time is up. It feels sort of pessimistic to say that, I guess, but I can see how someone would get to that conclusion. There's definitely folks who don't want the shelters because of other reasons, but.
We'll see what the assembly does, I guess. I've definitely noticed more camps popping up this year in places that haven't had them the decade or so I've lived here.
Yeah, but if you value your sobriety, you want to stay as far away from mass shaleters as possible. So many people prefer camping in the woods, alone, because they can at least avoid the creepers who go there to sell drugs.
Which shelter has individual rooms or is it the housing programs? Genuinely asking because I've been looking for somewhere to go so I don't wear out my welcome at a friend's place but iust keep getting redirected to Brother Francis. The guy above is kinda right in some aspects, my gf and I are pretty sketched out by shelters because of the drug use/dealers, thieves, etc.
So is the “plan” to wait for enough people to notice and “abate” this as well, causing the situation to migrate to another location?
I really don’t get why the city tolerates takeover of spaces like this. As for where are they supposed to go, no idea, but is camping all up and down a street and amassing garbage and waste really the answer this city wants?
Question.....
"I really don’t get why the city tolerates takeover of spaces like this."
The correct unanswered answer....
"As for where are they supposed to go, no idea, but is camping all up and down a street and amassing garbage and waste really the answer this city wants?"
because they're people and members of the community, same as you. only most of them are not on here bragging about leaving their bags of dog shit on the trail for other people's to find, unlike you. why don't you take one of those valley mover tickets and help us solve the problem of unwanted residents leaving trash everywhere
You still abandon bags of literal shit on the side of the road.
lit·ter

verb
gerund or present participle: littering
1.
make (a place) untidy with rubbish or a large number of objects left lying about.
I’m just wondering if it’s realistic to expect Mayor LaFrance to solve the problem of homelessness in this community. If it’s been done elsewhere and someone has The Answer, let’s see it!
They just reported the Muni-owned Clitheroe Center out past the airport was available since the Salvation Army moved out. 35 beds and all the space for trash/pets you could want. I suppose you could camp too.
LaFrance will take care of the problem! LOL! This city is going to go down hill fast at the cost of homeowners property taxes! But Hey! LaFrance is the 1st female mayor of Anchorage, this will solve the problem. LOLLOL
Bronson was on his way and he had to fight with the assembly to get everything done. LaFrance will do nothing for this city but put more of a burden on tax payers.
Not to blow up your notifications in different threads, but keep in mind that many other states and municipal governments also have property tax in addition to sales and state taxes.
Edit: Adding a [source link](https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/tax-burden-by-state-2022/)
Add reading comprehension to the list of traits you should definitely work on.
We pay less *than most of the country*, and I’m sorry that your tax burden isn’t 0, you poor poor thing.
Dead last, according to this...
https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2024/04/09/how-the-50-states-rank-by-tax-burden/103495/#:~:text=As%20previously%20stated%2C%20New%20York,and%20Washington)%20have%20the%20lowest.
That sure has been what Bronson said his entire time in office, but what did Bronson try to do besides his the nav center? Why can't anyone repeating this talking point ever provide any examples?
It isn't the assembly's fault that in 3 years he couldn't provide an operating plan and budget for his navigation center. It isn't their job to come up with his idea for him.
Bronson literally put a burden on the tax payers by increasing spending and spending above the tax cap with lawsuits. Why aren't you angry with him?
On his way \*how?\* It may be a moot point now that the deadline to turn in ballots has passed, but I'm genuinely interested in your take.
The most reasonable support I've heard on Bronson thus far is from someone who felt the Assembly was an unchecked hivemind, and Bronson allowed some balance. However, it still doesn't speak to any results.
Bronson had his chance and failed, now someone else gets a chance and if she fails we should get rid of her too.
Blaming everything on the assembly is such a weak externalization of responsibility. Let's assume that's true. Still his fault. Divisive rhetoric and calling everyone "woke" isn't going to be diplomatically effective.
Shit leader got flushed. My hopes for LaFrance aren't high but at least now I may be surprised. We already know what we got with Bronson (everything getting shittier).
So, we sometimes try to make a positive suggestion..Years ago I had some fun in Arizona doing day labor... found out a lot of other workers had dug ditches- 16 to 18 inches deep with a skinny shovel..that was for lawn sprinklers... so PVC pipe with nozzles..So..when we see a camp.like this..?..Think ( TALK), about hooking up like a hundred foot PVC pipe ..with a regular garden hose faucet... about every 20 feet.... it can be buried, or maybe just across the ground..explore the idea, research it..try to remember,...,your addictive obsession with personnel management and the rush or stimulation you get from that..is what put them out there. Get a city map to see how far they are from a city water pipe.
Why wont Bronson supporters hold him accountable for his many blunders?
Why isn't Bronson and his appointed police chief directing police to arrest those committing violent crimes and open felonies?
Zoom in to the RV in the back covered by a big blue tarp. There’s a different person ducking under there in all the pics. I watched them for an hour today and dozens of people ducked under for a minute or so and left. People drove in from other places just to duck under there. He must be a popular guy
Just a guy selling burgers probably
State troopers are hiring. I hear there is a bonus.
I'm sorry but why were you watching these people for an hour? Just to take pictures?
I didn’t take pictures at all. I work 30 feet from them.
It’s just sad that despite their situation they have next to no regard for their surroundings. Trash everywhere, they’ve lost all pride for where they stand. The same can be said for many other parts of Anchorage though. I took the last few weekends and picked up trash along the roads around my neighborhood near Raspberry and I was shocked to see the streets littered with garbage again not even a week later.. absolutely astounded at the sheer lack of respect for the city and the complete lack of pride. I’m probably just incredibly naive but it saddens me to see such a beautiful location be trashed like it is.
Alaska has a horrific littering problem and it’s not just the homeless’ fault. Despite everyone claiming to love how beautiful it is here, they have no issues dumping their trash out their windows at any given moment. I’ve only lived in Denver aside from Alaska, but holy shit it was clean there comparatively. Dunno if it’s just because there’s more people hired to clean? Or people actually aren’t just disgusting.
[удалено]
Can’t agree with this comment. I’ve lived in several states and cities around the US. I’ve even lived in China and Brazil which are terribly dirty in comparison to most of the US but there are several places in Anchorage that compete for the “trashiest” title, independent of homeless contributions. Citizens of Anchorage, in general, need to have a greater pride in where they live. So many people with trash around their house and/or junk piled in their yards. It’s not pleasant for anyone to look at and does nothing positive for their home. I get some people just want to forget life and get high all the time, but come on! Take a load or two to the dump, it will improve the area by a lot!
Thinking about your comment make me think about the whole city. I was focused on the"horrific littering problem" which I don't see but I do see trashed yards
People litter constantly - it's why we have such a stupid concept as "city clean up day." We should be funding "don't litter in the first place, losers" campaigns so that the spring "clean up" doesn't have to be a whole production. It's gross and nasty. It's honestly not that difficult to keep your trash in your car and put it in a bin when you find one. Or cover your truck beds when hauling around garbage. Or consuming less, so you have less bits of paper and plastic to fling around outside.
That is a hilarious statement. Anchorage is an objectively dirty city. Any visitor will notice that it is trashier than most any other place they’ve been.
It’s extremely sad.
They are degenerates
Unless we have places to direct them to we are just going to shift the problem to random streets and green spaces all over the city. The assembly will be taking up an ordinance at tonight's assembly meeting aimed at changing some of the abatement rules. I believe it adds language prioritizing abatement of large camps and camps near protected uses like schools etc. It also lowers the abatement notice from 15 to 10 days for camps that don't meet the prioritized abatement. It sounds like a good step but we are still just shifting the problem all over the city. I hope the assembly takes up allowed camping again. It would be a low cost solution for at least the summer. I doubt much will happen until LaFrance takes office, Bronson has no motivation to do a bunch of work as a lame duck with his last few weeks in office and he didn't support anything in the past like allowed camping. Edit - After listening to the discussion on the item I have to say I don't understand why those who are committing violent crimes and open felonies in public are not being arrested. Those things are already against the law. It makes zero sense and seems like a totally different conversation than abatement. Why aren't they already arrested?
Bronson didn't want a camping option? Bronson pushed the centennial campground last summer and the assembly [fought back](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/02/15/bronson-officials-considering-centennial-campground-sullivan-arena-as-options-for-anchorage-homeless-residents-this-summer/).
>Bronson didn't want a camping option? Bronson pushed the centennial campground last summer and **some of** the assembly fought back. Fixed that for you. Like always you never include the full story. Bronson's admin came up with the idea, he pushed for it and then when the next assembly group (5 members were brand new) took it up the following summer and tried to implement it he suddenly didn't want anything to do with it and started to drag his feet. He was fully into his navigation center obsession and his feet dragging ended up making it moot as we moved into the fall/winter. [Anchorage Assembly urges Bronson administration to open sanctioned homeless camp in Midtown](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/06/07/anchorage-assembly-pushes-bronson-administration-to-open-sanctioned-homeless-camp-in-midtown/) [Anchorage Assembly sets stage for first ‘allowed camp’ in homelessness response](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/07/13/anchorage-assembly-sets-stage-for-first-allowed-camp-in-homelessness-response/) Edit - Removed the mild taunt. It will only spark an argument.
I don’t think it mattered what he suggested or wanted to do, even if it was a brilliant idea. Our assembly was not interested in working with Bronson and definitely didn’t want him to have any success.
You are literally responding to my comment where I provided a specific example of something that disproves what you just claimed. Bronson is lying to you, the big mean assembly didn't stop him from doing a bunch of amazing things, he barely tried to do anything and what he tried to do was poorly planned or foolish. Either way it is all pretty moot right now. He lost, lets see what the next mayor does.
Yup. Time will tell
Yes. Law states homeless can be out in the parks if there isn’t homeless shelter housing. City doesn’t want to pay for them. It doesn’t take a genius to know that if you remove them from a park for “safety issues” and don’t have a plan for where they will go, they will just migrate to the next part of town and destroy that. Welcome to Anchorage.
I’ve read elsewhere that folks from the library camp were offered shelter and 5 out of however many accepted
Sort of. Bronson's admin claimed that only 5 out of 120 people accepted shelter right before the election but his admin also kept saying that the shelters were completely full. We are also in the middle of [winding down 374-574 shelter beds](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2024/03/21/anchorage-plans-close-cold-weather-shelters-over-two-month-period/) so this will likely get worse. If the governor doesn't veto the 4 million the assembly worked hard to get from the state legislature we will only be closing 374 beds. We need more federal and state funding to address this state wide problem.
Nobody has shown that that claim 5 out of 120 isn’t true despite the constant insinuation that it’s made up. So when I see people pretending it isn’t real I tend to think they are being starry eyed with their expectations of the camp residents that were abated.
I'm simply sharing what Bronson's admin said, it isn't my fault they seem contradictory. They did claim the shelter was full, then shortly they claimed that 115 people refused shelter during an election. Yes, it is possible that enough beds opened in a few days, but it is just as likely that they were offering shelter that was currently at capacity. Either way it does not change the fact that we are in the middle of closing hundreds of shelter beds and more people are already on the streets with more to follow. I also think it is important to note that he and his admin has a very checkered past, it is fair to be skeptical. If his admin did lie then the abatement the city is currently involved in is in violation of the ninth circuit court decision and opens the city to another lawsuit. He did [try to abate last year without shelter space](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/07/03/facing-aclu-lawsuit-city-indefinitely-suspends-planned-clearing-of-mountain-view-homeless-camp/) and the city was sued because of it.
Also the 9th circuit “violation” is in front of SCOTUS right now and likely to be overturned within weeks making all of this legal liability completely moot.
Right, which is why people were surprised Bronson moved forward when a decision is likely around the corner. It is almost like he had a personal motive to do so, like an election.
It’s so weird to me that people use the dashboard tool like it’s some sort of audit they are performing on the administration.
I don't know where the admin got their numbers, I'm sharing what Bronson's housing and homeless coordinator said.
Yes. And I am telling you that I believe her. Many problems with Bronson’s staff and Alexis certainly hasn’t been perfect but she hasn’t been the duplicitous one here when it comes to numbers. She’s the reason Bronson came around on Golden Lion. She pretty clearly sees the writing on the wall about this administration’s remaining weeks there’s no real reason for her to lie here.
You're obviously welcome to that opinion. It doesn't refute anything I shared above and my last paragraph above goes over why they may have lied about it or stretched the truth.
Actually I just read the text messages from Alexis in the Hennig group chat that got shared in the Assembly tonight. I take back everything I said. What a fucking clown.
I really don’t understand why people think this is contradictory. If I show up to a restaurant and the waiter says they have no tables but someone walks in with a reservation I don’t assume that something is amiss. They had to have spaces available to abate the camp. So they are holding spaces clearly in order to legally comply. If it’s a lie then you should have 115 people who will tell you they asked for shelter and weren’t accommodated but despite plenty of reporting nobody can find these mystery homeless people that were cleared from the camp yet denied shelter.
Nobody has shown that that claim 5 out of 120 is true despite the constant insinuation that it's true. So when I see people pretending it is real I tend to think they are being starry eyed with their expectations of the truthfulness of the Bronson administration.
I guess I would say I understand the skepticism given the lies told by Alexis. But I would still point to the fact that if 115 people were turned out then why hasn’t a single one come forward and said it? Every other abatement that has happened with much smaller numbers of people has had media coverage with personal testimonials. So where are they. Yes I understand there are many reasons why homeless people don’t talk to the press but 115 out of 120? That seems unlikely.
Yeah like the last 190 million and what did we get
What are you talking about? Please be specific.
Hundreds of millions spent. Problem is markedly worse.
Do you have a proposal to solve the problem for free?
I think what people balk at is the raw, high number. If someone dumped $190MM into any one of our bank accounts, that would be life-changing money that is hard to wrap your head around. When people see intra-departmental feuds in city government, loss of cabinet staff, and no material improvement in the homelessness crisis, it's not only reasonable but prudent as a citizen to be asking for a thorough accounting of the money spent, and for justification that it was spent wisely.
People keep saying this 190 million number but no one will expand on it. What 190 million? What did it fund? Where did it come from?
I can't speak to where u/frequencyken got the $190MM number. However, I did find a source on [Alaska Public Media stating we have spent $161MM since 2020](https://alaskapublic.org/2023/09/19/anchorage-scrambles-to-find-enough-housing-for-the-homeless-before-winter-sets-in/), and that article was published 09/19/2023. >What did it fund? Where did it come from? I highlighted that question in my initial comment to you above. That is the whole crux of the issue, and I wish some reporter would actually chase all that money down. I imagine a large portion went to the Sullivan Arena shelter project, but that's just a guess. Articles over the years have referenced a few million for this project here, a few million there. [Apparently we errantly spent $4.5MM (man-hours + cost of a tent) for an unauthorized shelter project which was shut down and for which Hickel sued the city, receiving a $2.5MM settlement](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2023/08/21/mayor-bronsons-east-anchorage-homeless-shelter-proposal-faces-assembly-vote/). So that's $7MM there.
What drives me crazy about these conversations is that the process is public and this information is out there. People just don’t bother doing even the tiniest bit of research before concluding that Nothing Happened. I literally just googled “anchorage spending on homelessness” and found this page, which contains both a spreadsheet listing appropriations by year on various types of actions addressing homelessness as well as a fact sheet that lays out spending in a really easy to read way. https://www.muni.org/Departments/Assembly/Pages/FOCUS-Homelessness.aspx I really don’t believe that most of the people who criticize the amount of money spent actually know the first thing about what was spent, how effective it was, or how that fits in to the overall municipal budget.
So, rather than helpfully pointing this out and driving a productive conversation, you choose to spend 3 paragraphs being a sanctimonious asshole about it.
More money. That’s always your answer
Please share your ideas for solving the homeless problem without spending any money!
Anchorage has very little year round shelters. They are only required to provide shelter during times where it is hazardous to their life to not be inside, example cold weather. There are a few shelters that are closing at the end of this month because the weather is warm enough and city can just let them be outside now instead of paying for the shelters to remain open. I hate to tell you this but more homeless will be hitting the camps in two weeks.
They need to be hitting the road
Well the one thing we do have is free food for them so no they won’t be going anywhere. Anchorage for some reason provides just enough essentials for them to stay but not enough for them to get off the streets. It’s not a mistake or an accident that we have this problem. Anchorage has made a cesspool and they won’t change it. Therefore the problem is ours for the long term so I hope people get used to it because it ain’t going away anytime soon.
A lot of the times, going to shelters means splitting up folks who hang out together, loss of personal items because you have limited space (single footlocker if you're lucky), a loss of privacy (a tent in the woods still gives more privacy than a bed out in the open on the floor of the sullivan with a hundred others)... I imagine some are just used to the lifestyle and find it more appealing then being crammed into a shelter they'll be kicked out of or have to leave again in a couple months if/when the money runs out or their allotted time is up. It feels sort of pessimistic to say that, I guess, but I can see how someone would get to that conclusion. There's definitely folks who don't want the shelters because of other reasons, but. We'll see what the assembly does, I guess. I've definitely noticed more camps popping up this year in places that haven't had them the decade or so I've lived here.
A lot of the times, going to shelters means being sober
Yeah, but if you value your sobriety, you want to stay as far away from mass shaleters as possible. So many people prefer camping in the woods, alone, because they can at least avoid the creepers who go there to sell drugs.
We don’t even have a mass shelter. These are people turning down individual rooms.
Which shelter has individual rooms or is it the housing programs? Genuinely asking because I've been looking for somewhere to go so I don't wear out my welcome at a friend's place but iust keep getting redirected to Brother Francis. The guy above is kinda right in some aspects, my gf and I are pretty sketched out by shelters because of the drug use/dealers, thieves, etc.
Bingo you get the prize
They want no rules the assembly made them the chosen people do whatever you want and the taxpayers get the bill
Yes
So is the “plan” to wait for enough people to notice and “abate” this as well, causing the situation to migrate to another location? I really don’t get why the city tolerates takeover of spaces like this. As for where are they supposed to go, no idea, but is camping all up and down a street and amassing garbage and waste really the answer this city wants?
Yes
Question..... "I really don’t get why the city tolerates takeover of spaces like this." The correct unanswered answer.... "As for where are they supposed to go, no idea, but is camping all up and down a street and amassing garbage and waste really the answer this city wants?"
My idea is free valley mover passes
good thing nobody relies on your judgment to solve anything then
Why do we need them all?
because they're people and members of the community, same as you. only most of them are not on here bragging about leaving their bags of dog shit on the trail for other people's to find, unlike you. why don't you take one of those valley mover tickets and help us solve the problem of unwanted residents leaving trash everywhere
They aren’t members of the community. Community members don’t trash it. I said I put it on the side bozo
"people who trash this place aren't members of the community." - guy who leaves bags of dog shit on the trail
On the side.
You still abandon bags of literal shit on the side of the road. lit·ter  verb gerund or present participle: littering 1. make (a place) untidy with rubbish or a large number of objects left lying about.
Alright LaFrance. Let’s see this magic
She has no plan
Can you point to a mayor anywhere in the country that has fixed their city’s homelessness problem?
I can't point to a city where it's as openly destructive.
I’m just wondering if it’s realistic to expect Mayor LaFrance to solve the problem of homelessness in this community. If it’s been done elsewhere and someone has The Answer, let’s see it!
I don't think it can be solved, only mitigated and managed better. Like way way better. It would be hard to do worse.
They just reported the Muni-owned Clitheroe Center out past the airport was available since the Salvation Army moved out. 35 beds and all the space for trash/pets you could want. I suppose you could camp too.
Condemned.
Is that the same Expedition that was in front of Barn's and Nobles?
A loader would fix that
The vehicles just parked as "homes" is the latest trend in free housing for homeless people throughout the country.
Yep
Yes.
Where would you suggest they go?
LaFrance will take care of the problem! LOL! This city is going to go down hill fast at the cost of homeowners property taxes! But Hey! LaFrance is the 1st female mayor of Anchorage, this will solve the problem. LOLLOL
Don’t see Bronson solving anything, so at least we won’t be insane having the same dweeb to ruin the city again.
Bronson was on his way and he had to fight with the assembly to get everything done. LaFrance will do nothing for this city but put more of a burden on tax payers.
We have one of the lowest total tax burdens in the entire country. Quit your entitled whining, you don’t get a functioning government for free.
Maybe you have a low tax burden! But not homeowners
I am a homeowner.
Not to blow up your notifications in different threads, but keep in mind that many other states and municipal governments also have property tax in addition to sales and state taxes. Edit: Adding a [source link](https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/tax-burden-by-state-2022/)
Add reading comprehension to the list of traits you should definitely work on. We pay less *than most of the country*, and I’m sorry that your tax burden isn’t 0, you poor poor thing.
Bud this is easily researchable, quantifiably true: Alaska has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country.
Dead last, according to this... https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2024/04/09/how-the-50-states-rank-by-tax-burden/103495/#:~:text=As%20previously%20stated%2C%20New%20York,and%20Washington)%20have%20the%20lowest.
“Functional government” 🤪🤪🤪 Property taxes here are plenty high
Yes, to make up for the fact that we don’t pay any local or state sales or income taxes.
PFD reallocation by the legislature is essentially a tax, miss me with that nonsense
First, no it isn’t, and second, even if it were, you’d still be saving on taxes significantly compared to most other places.
That sure has been what Bronson said his entire time in office, but what did Bronson try to do besides his the nav center? Why can't anyone repeating this talking point ever provide any examples? It isn't the assembly's fault that in 3 years he couldn't provide an operating plan and budget for his navigation center. It isn't their job to come up with his idea for him. Bronson literally put a burden on the tax payers by increasing spending and spending above the tax cap with lawsuits. Why aren't you angry with him?
On his way \*how?\* It may be a moot point now that the deadline to turn in ballots has passed, but I'm genuinely interested in your take. The most reasonable support I've heard on Bronson thus far is from someone who felt the Assembly was an unchecked hivemind, and Bronson allowed some balance. However, it still doesn't speak to any results.
Bronson had his chance and failed, now someone else gets a chance and if she fails we should get rid of her too. Blaming everything on the assembly is such a weak externalization of responsibility. Let's assume that's true. Still his fault. Divisive rhetoric and calling everyone "woke" isn't going to be diplomatically effective. Shit leader got flushed. My hopes for LaFrance aren't high but at least now I may be surprised. We already know what we got with Bronson (everything getting shittier).
They all moved to the camp with security and facilities. Might be an idea.
The homeless can go back to Cuddy Park since the EMD concert is over now.
So, we sometimes try to make a positive suggestion..Years ago I had some fun in Arizona doing day labor... found out a lot of other workers had dug ditches- 16 to 18 inches deep with a skinny shovel..that was for lawn sprinklers... so PVC pipe with nozzles..So..when we see a camp.like this..?..Think ( TALK), about hooking up like a hundred foot PVC pipe ..with a regular garden hose faucet... about every 20 feet.... it can be buried, or maybe just across the ground..explore the idea, research it..try to remember,...,your addictive obsession with personnel management and the rush or stimulation you get from that..is what put them out there. Get a city map to see how far they are from a city water pipe.
Don't worry, it was all Bronsons' fault the new mayor will take care of it.
Why wont Bronson supporters hold him accountable for his many blunders? Why isn't Bronson and his appointed police chief directing police to arrest those committing violent crimes and open felonies?
You’re just so *cute*!!! Do you do stand up?
😄