OPINION: Why Anchorage must end its winter camp abatement program

In December 2021, Anchorage began the winter abatement of homeless camps on public property. The Parks and Recreation Department has reported clearing more than 50 camps since Dec 22. The city has maintained a camp abatement program in the summer for years, but has typically stopped camp removal during the frigid winter months. In late December, the city raised the capacity at the Sullivan Arena by around 100 people, allowing for the program to commence.

Anyone can report a homeless camp on the municipality website. The APD’s Camp Abatement Process, or CAP, team screens the information and posts 10-day abatement notices at encampments. CAP and the Parks and Recreation Department then perform walk-throughs and clean-ups of the site. Those with private property feel threatened by those without it, and these sorts of public reporting mechanisms allow housed individuals to act on that perceived threat.

Every winter, nearly a dozen people die on the streets and in the woods of Anchorage. In preparation for the winter months, the homeless often spend weeks winterizing their camps. By building platforms for tents, installing insulation, and using tarps, they hope to avoid frostbite and other health risks associated with the frigid temperatures. When camps are removed and cleaned up under abatement policies, homeless individuals lose all this progress, often along with important supplies, exposing them to the elements. This winter alone, more than 46 people experiencing homelessness have come to the emergency room suffering from frostbite.

Advocates of abatement programs often argue that camp removals push homeless individuals into helpful services and programs. For many homeless people, abatement does not mean that they will use city services, and may even make some less likely to use shelters. Many simply move to another area. Lucille Williams, forced to move her belongings through the snow in a cart after city workers posted an abatement order in her camp, said she will not move into a shelter. She prefers the open air and worries about theft and COVID-19 in shelters. Williams’ behavior hints at the ineffective and damaging cycle of clearing and moving created by abatement. In reality, removing encampments is used primarily to shuffle and manage the homeless population, and abatement programs are often disguised as sanitation and public health initiatives. This gives the illusion that progress is being made and allows city officials to portray abatement as successful.

Nonetheless, police and cities will often use the availability of shelter beds as a tool to disband camps, confiscate belongings, and cite homeless individuals. Proponents of the abatement program in Anchorage point to open beds at the Sullivan. However, the Sullivan was only meant to provide temporary relief during the height of the pandemic. Residents have complained of low temperatures and the use of portable toilets at the arena. Municipal Manager Amy Dembowski has also failed to clarify what changes have been made to suddenly increase capacity at the shelter.

Furthermore, camp abatement has negative psychological effects on homeless residents. Displacement, especially when coupled with move-on enforcement policies, often marks a shift from a relatively stable existence to a life of constant movement. When people are forced to leave their camps, distances between shelters, workplaces, and sleeping areas grow larger, making daily routines increasingly unstable. Forced to carry what they own, many homeless lose the option of anonymity and privacy.

All abatement programs take a serious toll on homeless populations, but camp removal during the freezing winter months is particularly appalling. Winter abatement is unjust, ineffective, and potentially life-threatening, and we must end the practice now.

Clarice Ruhlin-Hicks was born and raised in Anchorage, and is currently studying political science at Western Washington University.

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