Western Alaska evacuees are moving into longer-term housing and Anchorage hotels

Many Western Alaska residents displaced by ex-Typhoon Halong will move out of mass shelters in Anchorage this week and into hotels and more long-term housing arrangements.

Roughly 320 storm evacuees were staying at shelters in Anchorage as of Monday, according to Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesperson Jeremy Zidek. He said he believes the state, with the help of the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., has the capacity to rehouse all shelter residents who have been sleeping on cots at the Alaska Airlines Center or the Egan Civic and Convention Center downtown for almost two weeks.

The goal was to move more than 100 evacuees into non-congregate shelter Monday, he said. Zidek did not disclose exactly where storm victims will go.

According to a flyer from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the American Red Cross, emergency responders are working to keep multi-generational and extended families at the same hotels, and displaced residents will keep receiving three meals a day. Other resources and support will continue to be provided at the shelters as well as at hotels.

More than 650 people evacuated to Anchorage, city officials said last week. Storm damage is still under assessment and cleanup remains ongoing in Western Alaska. With many homes waterlogged, utilities damaged and winter on the way, the timeline for when residents can return remains unclear.

“Some people don’t want to stay in Anchorage,” said Thea Agnew Bemben, a special assistant to Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, on Monday. “There’s other places where people can stay on the road system, but also back in Bethel. Some people are hoping to be able to go home soon or to nearby villages.”

The state of Alaska last week formed a housing task force to match evacuees with housing accommodations. The task force included the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., Alaska Native health and housing organizations, Western Alaska groups, the Rasmuson Foundation, the municipality and others.

The Anchorage Emergency Operations Center team identified more than 1,000 hotel rooms, Airbnbs, apartments and housing units that could potentially be used as temporary housing, said city spokesperson Emily Goodykoontz.

The state’s Individual Assistance program includes a temporary housing program that provides homeowners with up to 18 months and renters with three months of housing assistance. More than 1,100 Individual Assistance applications have been received, according to a Monday update from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

“We know there are more people that stayed with friends and families who will require help and are prepared to meet the need,” Zidek said.

[At a Native foods potluck in Anchorage, a taste of home for storm evacuees]

[Drenched insulation, muddy floors and broken heaters: Western Alaska villages race to clean up after the storm]

[Inside the effort to rescue the dogs that Western Alaska storm evacuees had to leave behind]

[‘It is who we are’: Alaska Native organizations collect whale meat, seals, fish and other traditional foods to help storm victims]