Editorial sells Assembly’s homelessness efforts short

Sunday’s editorial, “The real cost of Assembly inaction on homelessness,” was unfortunate. It ignored facts and built a narrative of partisan fighting and inaction, instead of telling the real story: The Assembly has been working nonstop with partners of every political persuasion to find real and effective ways to address homelessness. And that includes working with Mayor Dave Bronson. In fact, it was those who are considered the most conservative members of the Assembly who put forward the motion to stop the new plan so that it could be reworked and improved. There’s a real danger in putting a plan in front of a voting body before the financial and strategic heavy lifting have been done to really understand the impact and economic viability. When the ADN editorial board said that the public was surprised and that this plan was a good starting point, it ignored the reality of the situation and many years of work.

The Assembly and the mayor continue to work together to improve the lot of the homeless in Anchorage. There are many ways forward. We will find one that works for Anchorage in the collaborative way that the Assembly, Mayor Bronson and his administration have committed. Confronting all the challenges related to homelessness will continue to be done transparently and urgently, as it has been all along.

When the buildings proposed for purchase last summer did not turn out to be economically viable, the Assembly and administration acted with urgency to find other options. As directed by the Assembly in March, a plan to transition the Sullivan by the end of September was spelled out by Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson. That plan was a starting point for discussion. It hinged on purchasing the old Alaska Club. That plan stalled when the mayor chose to forgo purchasing the Alaska Club.

When the Assembly chose not to advance Mayor Bronson’s plan or the alternate plan put forward by Assembly Members Meg Zaletel and Forrest Dunbar, it was probably not a shock to many residents. There were few who were invested in either path forward. That action did not end discussion of those plans or modifications of them.

There are other options. With FEMA funding available at no cost to the Municipality for up to six months after the end of the federally declared emergency, we can continue to research other options along with the administration for likely the next ten months. That allows time for the new administration to fine-tune its proposal so it is more palatable to the general public and our wallets.

Clear-eyed citizens know that buildings alone won’t solve homelessness. A place to shelter in an emergency with services on-site is part of the path. That is best practice around the country and had successes at the Sullivan Arena shelter. The ‘solution’ to homelessness includes far more, with addiction recovery and mental health assistance high on the list.

The Assembly, along with Mayor Bronson, understand the challenge. We agree it is a priority. We will continue the work together and with all partners to make homelessness rare, brief and one-time.

That is the height of responsible governance.

Suzanne LaFrance serves as chair of the Anchorage Assembly. She represents District 6, South Anchorage, Girdwood and Turnagain Arm.

Christopher Constant serves as vice chair of the Anchorage Assembly. He represents District 1, Downtown Anchorage.

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