Homelessness in Anchorage: Can we consider new ideas?

It seems a week does not go by without someone raising concerns about the rising numbers of homeless individuals and/or the lack of decent, affordable housing in our community. Unfortunately, it appears the number of Anchorage’s homeless are likely to witness a significant increase due to recent state budget cuts.

Should the budget reductions stand, a number of individuals who are housed will become homeless. New and existing homeless will have a much more difficult time finding decent shelter. The homeless just trying to survive will increasingly establish themselves within every available nook and cranny of the city’s public realm. This means more down-and out individuals on our streets begging for money, more illegal camping in our greenbelts, parks and other public spaces, more property theft as unsecured homes and vehicles are riffled for valuable goods. Will the churches or other non-profit organizations be able to provide decent shelter for the rising numbers of homeless Alaskans to ensure these individuals are not forced into such uncivil activities? If history is a guide, the answer is no.

But what if there was a solution that did not push our community’s churches and social nonprofit groups to herculean efforts or require new sources of funding but rather relied on the community being open to just changing the rules?

The existing Anchorage housing stock is underutilized and this creates a latent supply of affordable housing waiting to be tapped into by the community. When one looks around at the residential subdivisions, one cannot help but notice the number of homes where children have grown and moved out on their own. Their old bedrooms sit vacant. Many other homeowners who never had children have rooms that could easily be converted into a bedroom, should there be a reason to do so. These and other such occurrences represent a latent supply of affordable housing. Unfortunately, existing Municipal land use regulations and existing housing subsidy programs do not make it easy for homeowners to rent out individual rooms for shelter.

These unused or underutilized rooms represent a latent opportunity for solving multiple community and public policy challenges. First, they could be a source of revenue for homeowners, especially those who are retired, as these supplemental funds could allow for residents to age in place - an important desire for many homeowners who have significant emotional capital invested in their home.

Second, the wide distribution of these homes throughout the Anchorage Bowl means they could provide an affordable housing option for entry-level workers in close proximity to their place of employment and essential services. This in turn allows these workers to forego the expense of owning a personal vehicle, the cost of which typically represents the second-highest cost component of a personal budget. This double benefit greatly increases the ability of our entry-level workforce to make financial ends meet.

Third, with just a few tweaks to the current Section 8 housing voucher program, a larger number of individuals could be provided affordable housing using the same amount of resources. A housing voucher for a room in an owner-occupied home would be much less than for a one- or two-bedroom apartment. Thus more people could be placed into affordable shelter without the need to increase Section 8 funding.

There are many benefits to such an approach. There is a reduced need to build expensive new affordable housing units; it helps solve a problem faced by employers in the tourism and hospitality industries for affordable workforce housing; it creates a supplemental revenue stream for existing homeowners allowing them to increase their equity position while giving them the option to age in place; it expands the housing options for homeless individuals in a direct and cost-efficient manner; and it requires only rule changes and some revised program criteria by public entities with minimal to no impact on existing and strained public budgets.

As community leaders wrestle with the on-going challenges of meeting the housing needs for Anchorage’s indigent and entry-level workforce, it may be time to consider new and more cost-effective solutions.

Allen Kemplen is president of the Fairview Community Council, a former two-term state legislator and an engaged member of the Anchorage community.

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