Zachariah Hughes

Anchorage is largely barred from clearing homeless encampments during an acute shelter shortage, but the city moved ahead with clearing Cuddy Park ahead of a large music festival set for later this month.

As Anchorage officials move to clear a Midtown encampment ahead of a three-day music festival, they have to balance local concerns with federal court rulings.

The contractor is suing the municipality over work done on the stalled East Anchorage homeless shelter last year that the Bronson administration green-lit without following protocol.

The Midtown park has turned into a popular site for encampments since the shelter wind-down at Sullivan Arena, bringing it in conflict with plans for a three-day concert scheduled for June.

The proposal would establish designated areas with basic services to campers in the absence of alternative shelter and encampments proliferating in the wake of the Sullivan Arena closure.

Progress on the project ground to a halt last fall after millions of dollars in unapproved construction came to light, but backers say it’s the best option for adding more homeless beds before winter.

The municipality already has a higher rate of homelessness than much larger Lower 48 cities, yet receives far fewer federal dollars to address the problem. Now, with better data putting the number of unhoused people around 3,000, that shortcoming looks even starker.

The mayor’s office said Saxton Shearer, who has worked for the administration since 2021, is leaving his position to take a job in the private sector.

After winding down Sullivan Arena without shelter alternatives, the city can’t tell people to leave campsites. For neighbors, that brings major problems.

LaFrance represented South Anchorage on the Assembly starting in 2017.

Tenants in the Forest Park trailer court say they have few, if any, affordable options. Some officials see a warning sign of a worsening housing crisis to come.

The city-owned hotel has been at the center of local political fights for three years, and is now readying to take in dozens of people with nowhere else to go.

What to know about consuming cannabis in the 49th state, whether you’re an old hand or just looking to sample some unique local fare.

Local and federal funds will pay for design work and construction on stitching together a path through a tricky industrial section separating two popular recreational trails.

Members will vote Tuesday on a proposal to extend operations at the shelter, with details yet to be figured out.