As saddened as I have been to read about the numerous deaths of homeless street alcoholics over the summer in Anchorage, I am equally stunned that the city appears to be starting from scratch to address this issue. It has convened yet another "Task Force on Homelessness" without seeming to recognize the many commissions, task forces, blue ribbon panels, and boards that have addressed this issue before.

Anchorage in the winter is a deadly season for homeless individuals. They do not have the time for a new administration to look for solutions without first assessing past efforts and successes.

I am no stranger to this topic. From 1991-2006, I was intricately involved with homelessness and housing in Anchorage. I was the director of the Brother Francis Shelter and then created and was director of Homeward Bound, a place where individuals with chronic alcoholism and chronic homelessness could live before they had the resolve to go into treatment, before they had the strength to face detox, before they had the courage to make the life-altering decision to move from homelessness to being housed.

Since leaving Alaska in 2006, I have been continuing to address these issues in Washington, D.C., and New York City. The issue of the public inebriate is not new to Anchorage. Before 1972, public drunkenness was classified as a crime in Alaska. The city paid for beds at the Salvation Army detoxification unit where a person arrested for public intoxication was taken.

However, in 1972, the city was forced to create alternative strategies after Congress decriminalized public intoxication.

Anchorage was not the only part of Alaska dealing with this issue. The Alaska Legislature passed Title 47, which established a state Office of Alcoholism, decriminalized public intoxication, and mandated treatment instead of jail for those found intoxicated in public.

Between 1972 and 2005 the Municipality of Anchorage produced seven reports addressing homelessness and the public inebriate.

1978 -- The Kelso Report,

1980-- "Beyond 4th Avenue: Alternatives to Misery"

1981 -- Blue Ribbon Panel on the Public Inebriate

1986 -- The Franklin Report

1989 -- "Beyond 4th Avenue: Alternatives to Misery Nine Years Later"

1991 -- Public Inebriate Plan

2005 -- Municipality of Anchorage's Ten Year Plan on Homelessness The last report was the result of Mayor Mark Begich's Task Force on Homelessness, which I chaired from 2004-2005. This 24-member Task Force worked for one year and produced the Municipality of Anchorage's Ten Year Plan on Homelessness; a 19-page document with 112 action steps to be completed in one-three-five-and ten-year increments. This process included all vested parties, housed and homeless, in the final resolution.

Why doesn't Mayor Sullivan begin his work by using a plan that is still current?

I would entreat Mayor Sullivan and Mr. Hess to take the time to read these previous reports and glean critical information about what has worked in the past and what has not. Mr. Mayor, Mr. Hess, please learn from the best efforts of Anchorage's former leaders.

Hilary A. Morgan is former director of the Brother Francis Shelter and creator and former director of Homeward Bound.

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