Our view: Questions for AHFC

Anchorage police said they didn't respond Saturday night because they had officers on higher-priority calls -- armed assaults, rapes and a DUI.

AHFC didn't respond either, because it does not respond to oral complaints about tenants. It takes a written complaint before the agency will investigate what kind of mischief tenants might be making.

Police apparently had their hands full that night. But you have to wonder about AHFC's lax attitude toward its duties as the landlord. Only now is the agency investigating whether the unit's tenants violated their lease.

By all accounts the duplex tenants have been violating the peace of the neighborhood for some time.

Yes, it's hindsight, but clearly AHFC should have followed up on the oral complaints.

Dan Fauske, head of the AHFC, released this statement Wednesday:

"We are deeply saddened at AHFC that this tragedy occurred. There is an ongoing homicide investigation by the Anchorage Police Department that we must respect. There are also federal and state laws governing the landlord and tenant relationship that prohibit us from disclosing confidential information about our residents. We simply are not at liberty to disclose the specific information that the news media is requesting. On behalf of the men and women at AHFC who work in the Public Housing Division, we are proud of the services we provide to the 6,000-plus families which we assist across the state."

All that's fine, but beside the point. Why didn't AHFC act on the oral complaints of neighbors? AHFC can evict people for causes that include criminal activity and disturbing the peace of a neighborhood. Tenants have the right to fight an eviction.

"We do evict people when they break the rules," AHFC spokesman Dennis Fradley said Wednesday.

But before starting any eviction battle, why couldn't AHFC have visited the tenants and discussed the complaints? No confidentiality breached, no rights infringed.

When Anchorage police are not handling more urgent calls, they do respond to noise and rowdy behavior complaints from neighbors -- without the need for a written form. They might not arrest anyone, but sometimes just the visit send a strong message that the law is paying attention and disturbers of the peace had better dial it back.

Landlords also are responsible for delivering that message to tenants. No landlord should require a written complaint before checking on problems tenants may be causing. If that's AHFC policy, it needs to change. This very successful and well-run state agency should set the gold standard for landlord and tenant behavior and respect for neighborhoods.

BOTTOM LINE: AHFC has to respond better to complaints of disruptive behavior in its public housing.