OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Anchorage Assembly Housing and Homelessness Committee Meeting - August 19, 2026

Assembly & Committee MeetingsWednesday, August 19, 2026
BodyAnchorage, Alaska
SessionAssembly & Committee Meetings
DateWednesday, August 19, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:44:58

Transcript — Verbatim
0:08

All right, good morning, folks.

0:10

We're gonna go ahead and call this meeting of the Assembly Housing and Homelessness Committee to order.

0:14

We'll start with uh introductions in the room with uh with assembly members.

0:21

Anna Brawley.

0:22

Shared Gerger, Cameron Perez Radio.

0:25

And on the phone, do we have Ms.

0:26

Baldwin Day?

0:31

We have been having uh phone connection issues.

0:34

So if you are there, just uh shoot me a text or give me a thumbs up.

0:37

Um we'll go ahead and get started.

0:40

Uh we're gonna get started today with a presentation on the enforcement and outcomes associated with AO 2026 74 S2.

0:48

So if you're here to uh present on that, why don't you come on up?

1:19

Yes.

1:29

And for the record, please introduce yourselves, begin whenever you're ready, and members feel free to uh wave me down or text me if you'd like to get the queue.

2:19

Uh good morning, everyone.

2:20

I'm Thea Agnew Benben, special assistant to Mayor La France.

2:24

Um, true to form, we have a multi-presenter presentation for you today.

2:29

Our main goal is to provide you an update on the implementation of our camping ordinance that was passed um a little over a year ago today, or this you know, this month.

2:42

Um, but what we'd like to do is give you also information about all of the other things that we're doing around addressing unsheltered homelessness, and then we'll kind of um build into the specific data around the camping ordinance.

2:57

Um so I'll get us started.

3:00

Go to the next slide.

3:02

So again, you know, as we say probably every time we're here, we're continuing to implement two strategies that were developed at the beginning of the mayor's term.

3:13

Um, one is focused on homelessness and health, the other is focused on uh community safety here in Anchorage, and they have a set of interlocking goals.

3:23

Um, today we're primarily interested in talking about our goal around having fewer people sleeping outside, but that's also to accomplish that includes the other ones.

3:32

So we have to have a year-round safety net, uh better crisis care, better and more appropriate housing.

3:39

Um, our public safety workforce needs to be robust.

3:42

We're trying to reduce crime and increase accountability.

3:46

And then, of course, we want our roads and parks and trails to be safe for everyone, which involves having a lot of good partners and funding from other locate from other sources and also sharing data back with you all and the community.

4:01

Go to the next slide.

4:03

So, one of our main approaches uh to address unsheltered homelessness and people who would otherwise be sleeping outside and in some of our uh public spaces is a real effort around coordinated outreach, crisis response, and making real-time connections.

4:21

Go to the next slide.

4:25

Now on slide four.

4:29

We have updated this graphic that you have seen multiple times, and you now are seeing the updated version that has uh data that reflects our most recent housing inventory count.

4:44

That is something that happens at the same time as our point and time count.

4:48

So once a year.

4:49

So the point in time count is a good measure of demand, and then the housing inventory count is a good measure of our supply.

4:57

And so we've updated the numbers on this sheet to provide you that information.

5:02

At the very top here is again really our primary point of contact with people who are unsheltered or who are outside.

5:12

So we have, as you know, really developed a multidisciplinary outreach team around our HOPE team.

5:17

We still have mobile crisis response, both at the fire department and the police department.

5:22

And we have added mobile peer outreach.

5:25

So that's very exciting.

5:27

We are making a lot of direct connections into treatment, which is a huge part of our approach.

5:31

And on the back page, back of this diagram, which I can hand out.

5:37

Sorry, didn't actually get this printed earlier.

5:41

You have the full count of our sort of safety net inventory.

5:46

So I think people aren't always aware of how many beds we have.

5:50

And this is across our whole municipality.

5:52

So this is not just the ones that municipality funds.

5:55

It's also includes all of our uh beds of different types that are serving people experiencing homelessness.

6:02

So about 42% of those are emergency shelter beds or just over a thousand beds.

6:07

Um about 10% are transitional housing, 235 beds.

6:11

Uh another 260 beds are rapid rehousing.

6:14

And then the remainder, so about 37% are permanent supportive housing and other permanent housing.

6:21

So really, when you look at that, you know, kind of around 40% are for people who are needing something that night and needing a very emergency shelter response.

6:32

And almost another 40% are for when we hopefully can exit people from that situation into a more type of permanent housing.

6:41

And then the other diagram on the slide, it's really just showing you our crisis response model, which follows a national uh model called crisis now.

6:50

Go to the next slide.

6:55

This is all of our different types of mobile outreach and crisis response, um, both for people who are unsheltered and experiencing homelessness, but also just for people who are experiencing crisis wherever they are in the communities.

7:08

So you know from some of our other presentations that between 50 and 90 percent or sorry, 50 and 70 percent of the people that our mobile teams go to are housed.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness█████████████████████████████████████████████64%
Public Safety█████████████19%
Public Health████5%
Waste Management████5%
Zoning2%
Community Engagement2%
Procedural1%
Legal Procedures1%
Public Comment1%
Summary of Proceedings

Anchorage Assembly Housing and Homelessness Committee Meeting - August 19, 2026

The Assembly Housing and Homelessness Committee met on August 19, 2026, to receive updates on the enforcement of AO 2026 74 S2 (the camping ordinance), a proposal to amend AMC 16.120 (emergency shelter plan), and public testimony. The meeting took place from 19:03 to 12:48 (recording discrepancy) and featured presentations from municipal departments and partners.

Presentation: Camping Ordinance Enforcement and Outcomes

  • Thea Agnew Benben (Special Assistant to the Mayor) and Chief Case (APD) led a multi-agency update on the camping ordinance passed in July 2025.
  • Data showed 1,235 tons of trash removed in 2025 vs. 259 tons in 2026 (through July), with no camp abatements in 2026 compared to 28 in 2025. Healthy Spaces reported staff can now respond proactively due to reduced abatement demands.
  • Enforcement statistics: 90% voluntary compliance, 11% arrest rate. Of 109 cases referred for prosecution, 57 were pending, 6 resulted in convictions (one on appeal), and 46 were declined or dismissed. Reasons for dismissal included insufficient evidence or competency issues.
  • Outreach teams (HOPE Team, True North Recovery peers) reported contacting over 545 individuals in Q1-Q2 2026, with 801 referrals. Peer engagement doubled service acceptance rates to over 20% vs. 7.5% for officer-only contacts.
  • Pre-arrest deflection program (starting September 2026) will allow patrol officers to offer services instead of arrest for most misdemeanors; 45-minute response from True North Recovery.
  • Good Neighbor Fund raised $239,000, expended $105,000, enabling rapid interventions (e.g., bus ticket, storage unit).
  • Dr. Jennifer Pierce (AFD) reported CORE team reduced EMS calls by 83-100% for engaged individuals; 10 sublingual buprenorphine administrations since March, 6 connected to treatment.
  • Alder Place (former Golden Lion) outpatient care to open October 2026; South Central Foundation crisis stabilization center delayed; Providence center may open sooner.
  • Officials acknowledged a shelter bed gap: 300 beds in summer, not enough to offer real-time placement to all. Turnaways ranged from 8-25 per night, but most willing individuals can get shelter within 24 hours.
  • Member Brawley requested a future briefing on competency determinations and the state's role in releases.

Presentation: Changes to AMC 16.120 (Emergency Shelter Plan)

  • Kimberly Rash (Anchorage Health Department) presented proposed amendments to be introduced September 1, 2026.
  • Key changes: increase maximum capacity at a single shelter from 150 to 200 clients (exceptions require Assembly approval); replace "database" with "list"; repeal section C; and rename the plan to "emergency plan" rather than "emergency cold weather shelter plan" to reflect year-round operation and applicability to other emergencies (e.g., windstorms, volcanic ash).
  • The amendment aims to reduce administrative burden for capacity increases and align code with current practices.
  • A separate licensing update (AMC 16.125) will come later in 2026.
  • Discussion included zoning challenges, retaining community partner involvement, and the historical context of the original code written in 2010.

Public Comments

  • Ron Oliva (Rogers Park resident, business owner near Brother Francis Shelter): Presented Bindlestick Park recycling project pilot that employed up to 12 homeless individuals, paying them $600 cash weekly, and providing navigation counseling. Expressed frustration over delayed land purchase from MLP.
  • Chris Stoner (President, Midtown Community Council): Reported recent increases in aggression, camping on private property, and a child exposed to hazards (needles, rain) at Cuddy Park. Pleaded for more enforcement and ability to report concerns. Praised outreach teams but called for action on child safety.
  • Jamie Lopez (formerly homeless, advocate): Criticized the system as theater, stating the ordinance causes displacement and trauma, likening it to driving people like cattle. Argued women are less safe when isolated, and authorities like Lieutenant Fuchs (former military police) create distrust. Claimed people are left without help, citing a recent event where 50+ people were pushed from a building without services.

Key Outcomes

  • The committee received the presentations and public testimony for informational purposes. No formal votes were taken.
  • The proposed AO amending AMC 16.120 will be introduced on September 1, 2026, with public hearing set for late September.
  • Multiple committee members requested additional data and briefings, including arrests for theft/drugs (by Council member Park), warrant types (by Member Scout), and the competency/forensic gap (by Chair Brawley).
  • The committee extended the meeting by 10-15 minutes to accommodate questions.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good morning, folks. We're gonna go ahead and call this meeting of the Assembly Housing and Homelessness Committee to order. We'll start with uh introductions in the room with uh with assembly members. Anna Brawley. Shared Gerger, Cameron Perez Radio. And on the phone, do we have Ms. Baldwin Day? We have been having uh phone connection issues. So if you are there, just uh shoot me a text or give me a thumbs up. Um we'll go ahead and get started. Uh we're gonna get started today with a presentation on the enforcement and outcomes associated with AO 2026 74 S2. So if you're here to uh present on that, why don't you come on up? Yes. And for the record, please introduce yourselves, begin whenever you're ready, and members feel free to uh wave me down or text me if you'd like to get the queue. Uh good morning, everyone. I'm Thea Agnew Benben, special assistant to Mayor La France. Um, true to form, we have a multi-presenter presentation for you today. Our main goal is to provide you an update on the implementation of our camping ordinance that was passed um a little over a year ago today, or this you know, this month. Um, but what we'd like to do is give you also information about all of the other things that we're doing around addressing unsheltered homelessness, and then we'll kind of um build into the specific data around the camping ordinance. Um so I'll get us started. Go to the next slide. So again, you know, as we say probably every time we're here, we're continuing to implement two strategies that were developed at the beginning of the mayor's term. Um, one is focused on homelessness and health, the other is focused on uh community safety here in Anchorage, and they have a set of interlocking goals. Um, today we're primarily interested in talking about our goal around having fewer people sleeping outside, but that's also to accomplish that includes the other ones. So we have to have a year-round safety net, uh better crisis care, better and more appropriate housing. Um, our public safety workforce needs to be robust. We're trying to reduce crime and increase accountability. And then, of course, we want our roads and parks and trails to be safe for everyone, which involves having a lot of good partners and funding from other locate from other sources and also sharing data back with you all and the community. Go to the next slide. So, one of our main approaches uh to address unsheltered homelessness and people who would otherwise be sleeping outside and in some of our uh public spaces is a real effort around coordinated outreach, crisis response, and making real-time connections. Go to the next slide. Now on slide four. We have updated this graphic that you have seen multiple times, and you now are seeing the updated version that has uh data that reflects our most recent housing inventory count. That is something that happens at the same time as our point and time count. So once a year. So the point in time count is a good measure of demand, and then the housing inventory count is a good measure of our supply. And so we've updated the numbers on this sheet to provide you that information. At the very top here is again really our primary point of contact with people who are unsheltered or who are outside. So we have, as you know, really developed a multidisciplinary outreach team around our HOPE team. We still have mobile crisis response, both at the fire department and the police department. And we have added mobile peer outreach. So that's very exciting. We are making a lot of direct connections into treatment, which is a huge part of our approach. And on the back page, back of this diagram, which I can hand out. Sorry, didn't actually get this printed earlier. You have the full count of our sort of safety net inventory. So I think people aren't always aware of how many beds we have. And this is across our whole municipality. So this is not just the ones that municipality funds. It's also includes all of our uh beds of different types that are serving people experiencing homelessness.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com