Private funders donate $40 million towards solving Anchorage's homelessness problems
The closest thing to an official figure for the amount of people living homeless in Anchorage is an estimate of about 1,100 people.
But over the next five years, a partnership between the city, local non-profit organizations and privately owned and operated companies could help lower that number significantly.
On Wednesday, a $40 million donation was announced on behalf of four primary donors:
- The state's largest health care provider (Providence Health & Services - $15 million over five years.)
- The largest private property management company (Weidner Apartment Homes - $10 million over five years.)
- The largest health insurance provider (Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield - $5 million over three years.)
- The largest private fundraising group in Alaska (The Rasmuson Foundation - $10 million over five years.)
The money will be paid out over the next five years, helping to facilitate the programs laid out in the Municipality of Anchorage's 'Anchored Home' program. During the announcement, Mayor Ethan Berkowitz cited similar programs as having been instrumental in cutting homelessness levels in half in the city of Houston, Texas.
You can see the full breakdown of the 'Anchored Home' plan
.
Outside of Anchorage, several programs should also benefit from the new source of funding, namely, the Fairbanks Rescue Mission, the New Day Shelter in Ketchikan and Forget-Me-Not Manor in Juneau.
