As the Bronson Administration moved to expand capacity this winter at the Sullivan Arena homeless shelter, it let a contract with Covenant House Alaska providing shelter for homeless youth lapse.
The decision to not extend the program with Covenant House came despite multiple requests from the Assembly to continue the program through the winter.
“These young people would be at Sullivan if they weren’t with us,” Covenant House Executive Director Alison Kear said at a Wednesday Anchorage Assembly Housing and Homelessness Committee meeting.
The contract ended on Dec. 31, though Homelessness Coordinator Alexis Johnson said the Bronson administration was looking for additional funding to keep the program going. Assembly member Felix Rivera suggested using alcohol tax money, which was passed to fund substance misuse treatment, child and domestic abuse prevention, and homelessness response.
Rivera noted the Assembly previously told the Administration it wanted the program to run the duration the body approved it for.
Covenant House has been continuing services regardless. The Assembly asked the administration to work with their budget office to ensure Covenant House receives the funding to shelter Anchorage’s homeless youth.
