Search the site...

SOL DE MEDIANOCHE
  • MARCH 2023
  • FEBRUARY 2023
  • JANUARY 2023
  • DECEMBER 2022
  • NOVEMBER 2022
  • OCTOBER 2022
  • SEPTEMBER 2022
  • AUGUST 2022
  • JULY 2022
  • JUNE 2022
  • MAY 2022
  • APRIL 2022
  • MARCH 2022
  • FEBRUARY 2022
  • JANUARY 2022
  • DECEMBER 2021
  • NOVEMBER 2021
  • OCTOBER 2021
  • SEPTEMBER 2021
  • AUGUST 2021
  • JULY 2021
  • JUNE 2021
  • MAY 2021
  • APRIL 2021
  • MARCH 2021
  • FEBRUARY 2021
  • JANUARY 2021
  • DECEMBER 2020
  • NOVEMBER 2020
  • Advertise with us!
  • OCTOBER 2020
  • SEPTEMBER 2020
  • AUGUST 2020
  • JULY 2020
  • JUNE 2020
  • MAY 2020
  • MAR - APR 2020
  • JAN - FEB 2020
  • NOVEMBER 2019
  • SEPTEMBER 2019
  • JULY 2019
  • MAY 2019
  • MARCH 2019
  • FEBRUARY 2019
  • NOVEMBER 2018
  • SEPTEMBER 2018
    • Yes on Salmon
    • Become a citizen
  • JUNE 2018
  • APRIL 2018
  • FEBRUARY 2018
  • DECEMBER 2017
  • SEPTEMBER 2017
  • JULY 2017
  • MAY 2017
  • Spring 2017 - No. 5
  • Winter 2016 - No. 4
  • Fall 2016 - No. 3
  • Summer 2016 - No. 2
  • Spring 2016 - No. 1
  • Contact
  • MARCH 2023
  • FEBRUARY 2023
  • JANUARY 2023
  • DECEMBER 2022
  • NOVEMBER 2022
  • OCTOBER 2022
  • SEPTEMBER 2022
  • AUGUST 2022
  • JULY 2022
  • JUNE 2022
  • MAY 2022
  • APRIL 2022
  • MARCH 2022
  • FEBRUARY 2022
  • JANUARY 2022
  • DECEMBER 2021
  • NOVEMBER 2021
  • OCTOBER 2021
  • SEPTEMBER 2021
  • AUGUST 2021
  • JULY 2021
  • JUNE 2021
  • MAY 2021
  • APRIL 2021
  • MARCH 2021
  • FEBRUARY 2021
  • JANUARY 2021
  • DECEMBER 2020
  • NOVEMBER 2020
  • Advertise with us!
  • OCTOBER 2020
  • SEPTEMBER 2020
  • AUGUST 2020
  • JULY 2020
  • JUNE 2020
  • MAY 2020
  • MAR - APR 2020
  • JAN - FEB 2020
  • NOVEMBER 2019
  • SEPTEMBER 2019
  • JULY 2019
  • MAY 2019
  • MARCH 2019
  • FEBRUARY 2019
  • NOVEMBER 2018
  • SEPTEMBER 2018
    • Yes on Salmon
    • Become a citizen
  • JUNE 2018
  • APRIL 2018
  • FEBRUARY 2018
  • DECEMBER 2017
  • SEPTEMBER 2017
  • JULY 2017
  • MAY 2017
  • Spring 2017 - No. 5
  • Winter 2016 - No. 4
  • Fall 2016 - No. 3
  • Summer 2016 - No. 2
  • Spring 2016 - No. 1
  • Contact

HOMELESS...
ARE WE DOING ENOUGH?

​
BY cynthia gachupin


Most people spend this time of year enjoying family, friends, holiday parties and cozy nights at home. While temperatures drop outside, we light up our fireplaces and watch holiday movies. We go about our daily lives often forgetting about those who are struggling with maintaining basic necessities. Anchorage has had a growing homelessness problem for decades and it continues to worsen. So my question is, what steps has our city taken to address this problem, and are these steps working?

As the number of homeless people in Anchorage tips over 1,000, Mayor Berkowitz has partnered with the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness (ACEH) and other social service organizations. In 2018, ACEH updated their plan of action to “Anchored Home”. This is a three-year road map (2018-2021) that “invests in prevention & diversion, strengthening the housing and support system, ensuring public health & safety, and bolstering advocacy and funding”. Anchored Home engaged with over 700 community members to gain insight and strategies to address Anchorage’s homelessness. These community members shared concern for connecting homeless people with resources, helping them find meaningful employment, and reducing stigma. Anchored Home has implemented these and many more ideas into their plan of action.

I went to Bean’s Café to get stories and input from the homeless community. I spoke with several people, most seemed to think that the lack of consistent services added to the difficulty of finding permanent housing and employment. Many complained about the waiting period for housing and without a permeant address employment is next to impossible.

Aaron has spent most of his life here in Anchorage. He told me he suffers from anxiety and bipolar disorder. This makes attaining and keeping a job very difficult for him; he explained that he’s had a hard time trying to receive disability due to his debilitating disorders. His disorders have also made it hard to find permanent housing, “no one wants to rent a room to a crazy guy”.

His story highlights the issues many in the homeless community face. Mental health disorders seem to be prevalent in the community and are often not properly treated. Many find the paperwork needed to apply for services difficult, if not impossible, to navigate.

Lauren Thompson has lived in Anchorage for 20 years. He’s originally from Pasadena County and moved here when he was 8 years old. He frequently stands on the busy intersection of Northern Lights and Seward Highway. When asked what happened he replied, “things just went really bad”.

Most of us would like to think this couldn’t happen to us but in reality, all it takes is one life changing event to start a downward spiral into homelessness. This issue is one that effects everyone in the community, and it will take the community’s involvement to ensure that homelessness becomes a rare occurrence.

If you are interested in getting involved with Anchored Home, there are several ways to help. Go to https://anchoragehomeless.org/get-involved/ to see opportunities to donate or volunteer, and for information on attending ACEH meetings. You may also call 343-6371.

References:
https://anchoragehomeless.org/anchored-home/
https://anchoragehomeless.org/what-we-do/
https://www.muni.org/Departments/Mayor/Pages/MayorsHousingandHomelessness.aspx

Picture
Photo: Archive
Picture
Picture
PROUDLY POWERED BY SOL DE MEDIANOCHE NEWS, LLC.
Sol de Medianoche is a monthly publication of the Latino community in Anchorage, Alaska