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For services that have needed vehicle entry, such as food delivery, helping Centennial residents may become far more complicated. Anchorage operates Sullivan Arena as a homeless shelter on Feb. 9, 2022. They have kept a number of shelter services in-house rather than parceling them out to subcontractors, as had been done under previous management. As they debate how to proceed, whether the arena will remain open depends on several factors. Photographed on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. Where could he go? Homeless service advocates say moving people back to Sullivan makes matters worse. [An Anchorage anesthesiologist is in charge of a plan to reimagine homeless shelters in the city. Meet the Press - July 16, 2023 (Marc Lester / ADN). Meanwhile, the city is continuing to abate homeless camps. Without paying? he said. Since opening the doors, 3305 people have accessed shelter and food at the Arena. Burke, 39, had neatly packed the wagon with his possessions: A hospital discharge bag full of clothes. Hes heard few complaints about Hennings management over either facility, which he views a yardstick for an operators performance. I love this spot. This is proven by our average yearly attendance of over 300,000! When pressed, the mayors office did not provide its own estimate for the number of unsheltered homeless people in Anchorage. Copyright 2022 KTUU. Sullivan Arena. Some dozed beneath blankets and the bright arena lights. The Sullivan was not built to be a shelter. Find upcoming events, shows tonight, show schedules, event schedules, box office info, venue directions, parking and seat maps for Sullivan Arena in Anchorage at AXS.com. (Bill Roth / ADN). Some in Anchorage are eager to have the Sullivan returned to its intended use as an events and hockey arena. She previously covered breaking news at The Oregonian in Portland before joining ADN in 2020. He didnt have a tent or any gear. We really need clarity. Clark stood for a long time in the lot, wearing a gray T-shirt and vest in the icy cold wind. (Bill Roth / ADN). The coalitions executive director, Meg Zaletel, is calling on the city to halt abatement. All rights reserved. The plan would allow the Sullivan Arena to return to its original use this fall. Sullivan Arena - large event venues - Alaska Handbook Youve taken the rec centers off the table. Back inside Anchorage's Sullivan Arena shelter, a new nonprofit I dont, theres nothing we can do I have to follow the policymakers, but I wish they would people would just come down here and walk through this, she said. A spokesman for the Bronson administration questioned the coalitions estimates of unsheltered homeless people in the city and challenged its assertions about Anchorages limited shelter capacity and camp abatement. Eventually, Downell got into a Lyft, heading to his mothers house near Rabbit Creek. Were going to see camps pop up camps everywhere, said Rob Seay, deputy director with Henning Inc., the service provider that ran Sullivan during its latest iteration as a shelter. Shelter clients at the Sullivan Arena on Sept. 24, 2021 (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media) Upwards of 350 people stay at the Sullivan Arena shelter each night. Clark said hes been experiencing homelessness on and off since he was a teenager, though hes lived with friends and family before. 99 Plus 1, Sullivan Arena clients reflect after first week under new His mother is in the hospital, but his brother might be there. In addition, as people come into the system what do we tell them? A clean pair of New Balance sneakers. With the black hood of his coat pulled up over a beanie, Stephen Downell, 59, asked a Daily News reporter for help. Its always up in the air with FEMA, Assembly Vice Chair Chris Constant said. Still, the FEMA reimbursement is not necessarily guaranteed, and its not clear how long the federal funding will be available. Anchorage, AK 99501. Anchorage groups working to address homelessness are also decrying the administrations continuing abatement of homeless camps, saying without available shelter space, abatement is likely illegal. Bean's Cafe, a . The emergency shelter task force was called upon by the Anchorage Assembly to quickly draft plans for sheltering after Bronson officials last month did not attend a meeting or provide detailed plans. The municipality of Anchorage includes the Centennial Campground with 21 RV-only sites with electric and 67 RV/tent sites without electric. The task force in its recommendations opposed that option over the lack of restrooms and showers in the buildings, concerns over costs, safety and staffing, and for not yet having any feasible locations identified. The bands that performed were: Godsmack. (Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News). Bronsons own emergency shelter plans include lodging residents from Centennial in 20 portable buildings provided by the Anchorage School District. Now, city leaders say Sullivan Arena must soon return to its former uses. One thing to note is that all of these efforts including housing is a choice of the client, meaning there will be some that choose not to be housed. With the plan in flux, its not clear whether hockey games and trade shows will be held in the city-owned arena this fall. [Purchase finalized to make downtown Anchorage hotel into low-income and supportive housing for formerly homeless]. (Bill Roth / ADN). Some residents are disabled or are in wheelchairs, and struggle with the snow and icy conditions outside Sullivan Arena. That includes the mass care facility at Sullivan Arena, and its non-congregate shelter program housing people in hotel rooms. Now he was casting around for a place to rest. So where actually would the folks go if we didnt do this?, We understand that the Assembly authorized the task force to look at multiple locations. The city expects to complete the purchase of the Sockeye by the end of March. Navigators at the Sullivan help clients get their immediate needs addressed and connect them to housing opportunities, treatment and other resources, Sauder said. Rivera said Wednesday that the buildings could not be ready for use by Oct. 1. FEMA has already sent more than $4.5 million to Anchorage for its non-congregate shelter, but its not yet clear if its part or all of its homeless shelter programs will qualify for reimbursement, Stanley said. Eric Travis Clark, 33, grabbed some . Official Website. Because they couldve stay there, and not experienced bears, and wet, and cold and lacking those services.. A room at the Golden Lion hotel in Anchorage on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. . And then what do we already have in motion that will mitigate that? Boyle said. The city plans to stop operating the Sullivan Arena as a mass shelter by June 30. We are not going to dump people on the street, whether its springtime, summertime or wintertime its not going to happen.. Third-year medical student Monica Ketchum prepares an exam room in the medical clinic in the Sullivan Arena shelter. Valceral said the Port-a-Potties were foul, unsafe, and one of the main ways people were able to get drugs into the building. Building the capacity to shelter or house hundreds between now and June is an enormous challenge, acknowledged Owen Hutchinson, spokesman with the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness, the organization at the crux of the effort. Duke Russell, near right, and other volunteers handed out coffee and food as people left the Sullivan Arena mass homeless shelter on May 1, 2023. Sullivan Arena 1600 Gambell . Inside the mass shelter on Monday, rows of green cots stretched across arenas 32,000-square-foot main floor, which shelters 214 single men. Bryan Fisher, director of Alaskas Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said there is a whole bunch of nuance when it comes to eligibility for FEMA funds. Anchorage's Sullivan Arena shelter closes to most, sending many 2023 Anchorage Daily News. Up to 90 . The clinic offers rotating medical and behavioral health services from local hospitals like Providence Alaska Medical Center and other providers. Last November, the Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on homelessness, a compromise with the Bronson administration that outlined an agreed-upon exit strategy for Sullivan Arena. Several green tents appeared to have been set up in recent days there, ringed by yellow crime scene tape. But that plan faces complications. He disappeared back inside his tent. But bottom line, weve got capacity here for 400 people. And fundamentally, Ive heard no answer to why the municipality feels they can do this, said Rob Marx, director of client services at RurAL CAP, a nonprofit providing homeless services, including outreach to campers. The closure represented a bleak moment in history for Anchorage: Its the first time in recent memory that the city has turned homeless residents to the street with no sanctioned shelter or legal camping to receive them. But Henning is strict about barring anything that threatens clients safety, including dealing drugs, predation, theft, trafficking or carrying around weapons. Sullivan Arena homeless shelter gets third new leader in 3 months If the state doesnt give us the $15 million that we requested, thats going to be $15 million weve got to find somewhere else, Rivera said. And unless that can be immediately replaced, weve got to protect human life as a priority, Sauder said. A big part of Valceral and others work is spotting potential trouble and nipping it in the bud. Lacking other plans, he decided to spend the night at a bus shelter in Spenard. Various parts of town including Downtown, Fairview . Many Assembly members have blasted the administration for closing Sullivan without alternative shelter in place. Municipal Manager Amy Demboski told the Assembly by email that demand exceeded authorized capacity and that that was the sole reason for the change. Fencing blocks an eastern entrance to Sullivan Arena. Anyone causing any problems at all today that youve seen?. Of course, theres a caveat. Municipality Presents Plan to Transition Shelter Out of Sullivan Arena While officials say hundreds of people have been moved into various forms of housing, need for Sullivan Arena persisted as the citys primary walk-in shelter. Were not gonna let it get out of control, because if you let it get out of control its gonna be the same as it was before.. Those locations have been identified. They also suggested piloting Morris navigation center at the Sullivan or somewhere else. The coalition said privately run shelters in the city are largely full, save a few dozen beds in one high barrier shelter that requires sobriety and religious activities, the coalition says. This Sunday . We need to wait and see what the mayor says, Rivera said. Emily Goodykoontz is a reporter covering Anchorage local government and general assignments. But we want to make sure that were getting the people with the greatest needs to the best resource, Sauder said. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Crews are working to get the Sullivan Arena back open to the public after it was used as a mass care homeless shelter for nearly two years. Some have even said theyll go to Centennial Park in East Anchorage, where the city last summer directed people to camp after shutting down Sullivan Arena for a few months last summer. Get Sleep. Sullivan Arena tickets and event calendar | Anchorage, AK We dont have enough housing, we dont have enough treatment, we dont have enough behavioral health support. Parks and Recreation will store other belongings for up to 30 days, she said. The Bronson administration has said it will end Sullivan Arenas use as a mass shelter on June 30. If Im in the bleachers you wont see me. Many residents in attendance Wednesday supported using the Golden Lion for housing and also voiced support for using Sullivan rather than the other two arenas. The city in December increased the Sullivan shelters capacity from 420 to 510, rearranging cots to fit more people in. Am I going to have a place to be? Sauder said. Boyle said the city needs a plan A, B and C. To me, a smart and and feasible plan identifies what we think is the best option in partnership with the administration, the Assembly and our providers the best option for this fall and then a couple of backup plans in case need outweighs our current projections and/or something else happens, Boyle said. I know the streets. Assembly members and the task force largely agree that using a city-owned building such as the Sullivan is the quickest way to provide shelter. This is the most expensive part of the committees plan at an estimated $1.4 million for operations from October through December. Bronson announced this month he would close Centennial Park Campground on Sept. 30. Burke is originally from the Los Angeles area. This is the least expensive piece, costing an estimated $371,000. Seay himself came back from homelessness. She previously covered breaking news at The Oregonian in Portland before joining ADN in 2020. And I think the sooner we have a plan in place, the better for all involved. It is also still using the Aviator Hotel as a non-congregate shelter site. I move around, Im in different areas, and I just watch. As it stands now, many people will be left with no choice but to live outside, adding to the camps already scattered through the citys green spaces, the coalition and other organizations say. Upstairs, many people received food from what is normally The Glacier Grill concessions stand, where Beans now serves pre-made meals and snacks throughout the day. 2023 Anchorage Daily News. Contact her at egoodykoontz@adn.com. [Alaska food banks still inundated as state works to fix food stamp backlog]. (Bill Roth / ADN). A blanket. He said to me, Im not homeless right now. Were dealing with a lot of broken people that havent been heard.. The city would fund existing service providers, adding 25 beds for young adults at Covenant House and 40 beds for adults via Beans Cafe. Then the shelter closed. "We are working diligently with our partners to . Contact her at egoodykoontz@adn.com. Now, under rules determined by the Anchorage Assembly, its maximum capacity is 200. In regards to all of these options, I think the most important thing is for the administration to listen to the public on all of these options, because we know that theres going to be weve seen that theres controversy on some of these things. [Report: Problems continue to plague Alaska Psychiatric Institute]. Still, despite drug use that made the place feel chaotic, Burke had managed a fruitful few weeks in Anchorages city-operated shelter. Cots fill the floor of the Sullivan Arena on Monday, July 19, 2021. 6 Spots to Park Your RV in Anchorage - Alaska Tour Jobs Ortiz said he had no idea where to go when he left the shelter. Theres no guarantees ever with FEMA. Only about 25% of those at the Sullivan are using the navigation service, Sauder said. We are shooting for the fall hockey season for all the different figure skating groups, hockey groups, thats our internal goal is to get prepared for that demand.. Several Assembly members said they have seen a lot of emails from residents supporting the use of the Golden Lion for housing homeless residents. Chris Amaro transfers Meals On Demand produced by Bean's Cafe to serve homeless clients at the shelter.