Anchorage Daily News

FAIRBANKS-- A Fairbanks group plans to develop a long-term plan to ease homelessness in the community.

The Homeless Coalition says the problem costs taxpayers millions of dollars in hospital care and public services, and hurts tourism and downtown business.

"We have focused extensively on trying to provide a continuum of care from the detox center to the jail and the hospital, but we've never worked on a plan to end homelessness," said David Van den Berg, executive director of the Downtown Association.

He hosted a discussion last week with public officials and members of the Homeless Coalition that was attended by Paul Carlson, a coordinator for the housing program from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Carlson helps build 10-year plans to end homelessness in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska that are based on the theory that people must have basic needs -- food, clothing, shelter and safety -- met before they can address mental illness and addictions.

"Until those needs are met, these people are distracted and unable to focus on overcoming their illness," Carlson said.

The housing-first solution was cheaper in the long run than shuffling people among the jail, the hospital or detox, he said.

"It's expensive at first, sure, but it's cheaper in the long run," Carlson said. "We have study after study that didn't just verify that it was cheaper, it provided convincing evidence that there is a viable solution to end homelessness."

ADVERTISEMENT