Assembly passes resolution approving allowed homeless camp on vacant land by Cuddy Park

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – After the Assembly chose last month to delay discussion on a proposal from the Sanctioned Camps Community Task Force, it took up an amended version of that resolution — a version heavily amended by Assembly Member Felix Rivera that he believed would be more “politically feasible.”

It was a highly anticipated vote, due to the results being life-changing for those living outside around Anchorage, especially this summer. After a lot of discussion on the amended resolution on sanctioned camps, it passed 9-2 with only Assembly Chair Chris Constant and Assembly Member Scott Myers voting against it.

The S-1 version, put forth by Rivera, gives the Assembly’s approval to establish an allowed homeless camp at the vacant land at East 40th Avenue and Denali Street. That’s the former National Archives site, on a plot of land adjacent to Cuddy Park.

“I think pallet shelters are a really great idea and something that we really haven’t tested too much in Anchorage and so I want to see the viability of using pallet shelters year round, so not just during the summer but over the winter,” Rivera said.

The goal is for the camp to begin in mid-July. The idea is for campers at the site to stay in tents until the 30 pallet shelters arrive, which are estimated to cost around $380,000, according to Rivera. The language of the resolution was revised to say temporary shelters on an impermanent foundation, so there’s a possibility that something other than pallet shelters could be used. Still, the maximum number of people who could stay there would be 60.

“What we have before us is just simply baby steps. It will allow us to stand something up that is realistic, feasible, and timely and I know that this is something that we can do,” Rivera said. “We can do this, with this proposal that we have before us, right. We just need the political will.”

The proposal, with several guardrails in place, had majority support of Assembly members.

“We have an opportunity here to really pilot something and see if we can do it well, make an initial investment, bring all the support and all the services needed to do this right,” Assembly Member Daniel Volland said.

“Taking individuals that might be either — endanger themselves or endanger or creating an unsafe situation for neighbors, and help guide them towards a safe designated area,” Assembly Member Kevin Cross said.

The Assembly chair is among two who shot the proposal down, voting against it Tuesday night.

“I believe that a sanctioned camp is waiving of the white flag of failure, we should be working on our permanent shelter, we should be working on housing,” Constant said.

Mayor Dave Bronson pledged support toward the plan but warned of challenges that remain.

“The problem comes down to money, there’s no money left to do a lot of this,” Bronson said. “I support this, but we got to look at the money now.”

Bronson maintained he needed time to look through the details of the resolution. Notably, he expressed support for changing some of the language in the resolution from “sanctioned” to “allowed” because of what he says is a potential added liability to the municipality.

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