I have read much about where to find housing at least for the large homeless population in Anchorage. At the same time, I have noted that the Anchorage School District is having a difficult time meeting its budget.
I would suggest that a solution for both problems would be to close one of the many underutilized school buildings and convert it into a homeless shelter. Inlet View Elementary comes to mind, as we could save ASD at least $500,000 per year in operating costs alone. At the same time, we would avoid using Sullivan Center, which costs some $1 million per month to use as a homeless shelter and avoid the cost of damages to the center. Any of the other school buildings which are excess would be fine as well. The city could save some $7 million and better utilize one of its many buildings.
— Martin Carlson
Anchorage
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