Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz is set to introduce a new city homeless coordinator, funded through a partnership with the state's mental health authority, his office said Tuesday.
Berkowitz and Jeff Jessee, chief executive of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, will be introducing the as-yet-unnamed new coordinator at City Hall on Wednesday, according to a statement from the mayor's office emailed to reporters. City spokesman Myer Hutchinson said the homeless coordinator will be directed to release a 60-day action plan after starting the job.
Former Mayor Dan Sullivan appointed Darrel Hess as the Anchorage's first homeless coordinator in 2009. When Hess became the city's ombudsman in 2012, the Sullivan administration cut city funding for the position.
Hess' tasks included setting up a church sheltering program and writing the city's cold weather plan for the homeless. Hutchinson said more details will be released Wednesday on the responsibilities of the new homeless coordinator.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the administration's 60-day plan would be unveiled Wednesday.