The Bronson administration is considering relocating people experiencing homelessness to Centennial and other campgrounds after the winter.
The idea was discussed during an Emergency Shelter Task Force meeting Monday afternoon. Mayor Dave Bronson’s Homeless Coordinator, Alexis Johnson, presented several options for transitioning out of cold weather shelter this spring, including sending unhoused people back to campgrounds and continuing to use the Sullivan Arena as a mass shelter through the summer.
In addition to Centennial, the administration is looking at using Davis Park and Russian Jack Park. Campgrounds, renamed “safe sleeping site” on presentation slides by the Bronson administration, would hold 150 people at one or more sites and are estimated to cost the municipality $2.57 Million to operate for five months. The Golden lion was also discussed and is expected to be ready in six to nine months.
Assembly member Felix Rivera, who attended Monday’s meeting, said that the homelessness task force has not presented its formal recommendations yet, but will soon.
Last July, Bronson threw Anchorage’s homelessness response system into chaos when he hastily decided to close the Sullivan Arena mass shelter and direct about 200 unhoused people to Centennial Campground. Bronson moved people to the campground without offering food, services, or even basic camping gear like tents, sleeping bags, and food storage. He did not provide notice to the community or to the homelessness service providers that were left scrambling to offer food and services.
There was a shooting at the campground that left two people, including a police officer, injured. Frequent bear activity led to at least five bears being killed by fish and game. Overdoses were common and the first overdose death happened within two weeks of Bronson repurposing the campground.
About four months after dumping Anchorage’s unhoused population in Centennial without a plan, the Bronson administration moved everyone back to the Sullivan Arena for the winter.
Bronson largely ran his campaign on solving the homelessness issue, but has yet to implement a lasting response plan. Last year, the Anchorage Daily News reported that 24 people believed to be homeless died outdoors, making it the deadliest year for Anchorage’s unhoused population since they began tracking.
