Letters to the Editor

Letter: Seeking real homeless solutions

At the homelessness discussion last week at the Loussac Library, I was struck by the following information presented by Jasmine Boyle, Executive Director of Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness:

• 65.8% of recently incarcerated individuals are unsure of (or do not have) a place to live upon release.

• The formerly incarcerated are almost 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public.

I wondered what specific programs were available to assist these people upon release from prison. I found two: Partners for Progress, an Anchorage nonprofit whose stated goal is to “protect the public” through multiple efforts including help with housing, and the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., a public corporation that offers rental assistance for 24 months for parolees/probationers through their “Returning Home Program Department of Corrections.”

However, some are ineligible for AHFC aid:

• Anyone who is on a lifetime sex offender registry in any state

• Anyone with a history of manufacturing methamphetamines in public housing

ADVERTISEMENT

• Anyone who owes AHFC money

Mayor Dave Bronson’s representative, Terrence Shanigan, urged that more be done to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place. One way to accomplish this is through greater investment in housing for recently incarcerated people, specifically those who are excluded from existing programs.

After all, where do these excluded people end up? In our parks, on our streets, and in our shelters. We need Mayor Bronson and the Assembly to do more to prevent this group from becoming homeless, if for no other reason than public safety. A mountain of evidence shows that those released from prison are less likely to commit crimes if stably housed. I don’t advocate taking money away from other more vulnerable people; what I ask is that additional money be directed toward housing this specific group.

— Andrew Gray

Anchorage

Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.

ADVERTISEMENT