Anchorage Residents Share Frustrations Around Ordinance Against Homelessness
by liz rangel
The Assembly chambers were limited to standing room only on the evening of June 24th, where Anchorage residents waited hours to testify on AO 2025-74. The ordinance seeks to criminalize camping on public property with penalties of up to $2,000 in fines and up to 6 months in jail.
At these campsites, where organizations and community members have offered help by providing information, food, and resources, communities experiencing homelessness gather to share space and belongings. Dangerous events at these camps include multiple fires at Davis Park in Mountain View, leading up to its June 17th abatement where over a hundred houseless individuals have resided for several years. These camps have also been the target of several shootings that took place last summer, including the camp near East 40th St. in June and another near Ship Creek in August, both of which resulted in fatalities.
“(These circumstances) are not safe for people in or near these camps,” Mayor LaFrance stated during a press event in May, where she reiterated that “homelessness is not a crime, but it is a crime to camp out.” The mayor’s response included announcing the abatements of 23 unauthorized encampments, as well as an effort to invest in crisis care management. Three emergency shelter sites were closed in late April, leaving only 400 beds available.
As of late May, data from the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness had recorded 3,050 people currently experiencing homelessness in Anchorage.
Several who testified in support of the AO 2025-74 on Tuesday cited public health and safety as points of concern, focusing on the dangers of hazardous waste people may be exposed to. Some were claiming these public spaces are unsightly and unsafe, impacting the experiences of tourists and negatively affecting Anchorage’s economy by allowing these camps to continue existing.
Others called to question the constitutionality and morality of these punitive measures. “Criminalizing a bodily function like sleeping is unconstitutional... It is impossible for people experiencing homelessness to adjust their behavior to comply with the law proposed here because everyone needs to sleep. The only way to comply with a law that prohibits sleeping outside is to sleep inside... Anchorage shelters are consistently full, and housing is unaffordable.” Helen Malley, an attorney with the ACLU of Alaska spoke for the organization in their testimony. “For people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, there is no way for them to follow the law proposed here.” The Anchorage Assembly will be hearing more public testimony on the ordinance during a special session on July 11th. If passed, the ordinance will take effect 30 days later.
