Legislature(2011 - 2012)BUTROVICH 205
03/09/2011 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Alaska Coalition on Homelessness | |
| Presentation: Alaska Housing Finance Corporation | |
| Presentation: Neighbor Works Anchorage | |
| Presentation: Alaska Mental Health Board | |
| Presentation: Ruralcap | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 9, 2011
1:34 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Bettye Davis, Chair
Senator Dennis Egan
Senator Johnny Ellis
Senator Kevin Meyer
Senator Fred Dyson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
REPORT ON HOMELESSNESS:
Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
Neighbor Works Anchorage
Alaska Mental Health Board and Advisory Board on Alcoholism
and Drug Abuse
RuralCap
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
SUZI PEARSON, Chair
Alaska Coalition on Homelessness
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Presentation on Homelessness in Alaska.
DAN FAUSKE, Chair
Alaska Council on the Homeless
CEO, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
Anchorage AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Presentation on Homelessness in Alaska.
DEBBIE MAHONEY, Executive Director
Neighbor Works Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Presentation on Homelessness in Alaska.
MIKE COURTNEY, Deputy Director
Neighbor Works Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Presentation on Homelessness in Alaska.
KATE BURKHART, Executive Director
Alaska Mental Health Board
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Presentation on Homelessness in Alaska.
KENNY SCOLLAN, Anchorage Services Division Manager
Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RuralCap)
Anchorage, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Presentation on Homelessness in Alaska.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:34:19 PM
CHAIR BETTYE DAVIS called the Senate Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:34 p.m. Present at the
call to order were Senators Dyson, Meyer, Ellis, Egan, and Chair
Davis. Chair Davis announced the committee would hear
presentations by five different organizations that deal with the
problem of homelessness in Alaska.
^Presentation: Alaska Coalition on Homelessness
ALASKA COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS
1:35:34 PM
CHAIR DAVIS announced the first presenter would be Suzi Pearson,
from the Alaska Coalition on Homelessness.
SUZI PEARSON, Chair, Alaska Coalition on Housing and
Homelessness (ACHH) and Executive Director of Abused Women's Aid
in Crisis (AWAKE), said she would give an overview of the topic.
In 2005 she attended a day-long meeting at the Brother Francis
Shelter, which gave her opportunity to network with community
partners about homelessness. She wanted to know how AWAKE, as a
domestic violence provider, could intersect with the Coalition
on Homelessness. She was surprised to learn that half of those
who were homeless were fleeing domestic violence.
In 2005 Anchorage started to address homelessness through a task
force which developed a ten-year plan and created a more
organized and stronger coalition. The grassroots movement was
starting to take shape throughout Alaska. The mission of the
coalition is to develop strategies to alleviate homelessness and
to increase the availability of affordable housing in Alaska. A
primary goal is to give an opportunity for direct service
providers to connect and share solutions. Homelessness and the
threat of becoming homeless are real problems in Alaskan
communities.
Each year homeless providers participate in a point-in-time
count, where on one day providers count the number of people who
are living on the street, in shelters, in cars, in camps, and
with friends or family in overcrowded apartments and doubled-up
situations, sometimes putting that friend or families' own
housing at risk. On a single day in January, 2010, 4,982 people
in Alaska were homeless. Among them were 822 families, comprised
of 2,826 children and adults. On that day, 242 people met the
definition of chronic homelessness, meaning that individual had
a disabling condition and had been continuously homeless for a
year or more or had experienced at least four episodes of
homelessness in the last three years.
The federal government has focused energy on ending chronic
homelessness, and there has been a great reduction in the
numbers of chronic homeless individuals. However, families with
children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless in our
communities.
1:41:15 PM
Project Homeless Connect was held in January 2011 in Anchorage,
Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Mat-Su. This program brings
homeless people together in one place, on one day, where they
can easily get help. This is a real step forward for communities
in Alaska in addressing the issue of homelessness. It is also
very proactive, giving service providers the ability to provide
direct service immediately, and connecting people with solutions
quickly. It is also an opportunity for providers to hear about
the issues and concerns of homeless people.
The Anchorage Beyond Shelter program mission is to identify
families with children who are homeless and help them to obtain
and retain permanent housing. Their vision is that no family
with children will sleep in their car or in a place unfit for
human habitation. This collaboration of nonprofits, housing
providers, local churches, and the Anchorage school district
provides short-term, temporary housing, crisis response, case
management, and rental assistance, with a goal to assist
families to achieve permanent, affordable housing.
They have also created a cold weather plan. Shelters in
Anchorage have been at or over capacity for much of the last
several years. When it is 30 degrees or colder, families can
call a centralized hotline number and be referred to beds at
churches or overflow sleeping areas in a shelter.
Smaller communities are also finding creative ways to address
homelessness. In Barrow, they use two rooms at a local motel to
alleviate emergency concerns. Multiple generations are living in
substandard housing which is overcrowded and unsafe. The
community recently received funding and they are addressing the
substandard housing to make it safer.
The creation of housing stock in Alaska's communities is at the
core of ending homelessness. In Kenai, Love, Inc. has increased
transitional housing space from 15 to 100 units by acquiring a
motel. Communities throughout the state know that homelessness
is a problem. They are learning from each other, finding
creative solutions, and they are asking the legislature to
become a part of the solution in creating more affordable
housing and helping to end homelessness in Alaska.
1:45:47 PM
SENATOR ELLIS asked what the various organizations do in terms
of target populations, such as homeless veterans.
MS. PEARSON answered the primary focus with veterans comes from
programs in Anchorage which have resources, referrals and
services for veterans. The Beyond Shelter program can help
veterans with families. All the agencies collaborate in order to
help people.
SENATOR ELLIS asked if there is enough of a sense of urgency.
MS. PEARSON responded that she thinks there is. Anchorage is
fortunate to have a cold weather plan. But the numbers of
homeless are growing, especially families.
SENATOR DYSON noted that when school districts talk about the
number of homeless families, possibly living with family
members, some of these people are not literally homeless.
MS. PEARSON responded that there are barriers in these
situations. Often the living space is overcrowded, or the
friends and families are in subsidized housing and not allowed
to have people stay with them. This puts them at risk of losing
their own housing. These families might not be living in a
shelter or on the street, but they can become homeless at any
time. Or in the case of domestic violence they might have to
leave home.
SENATOR DYSON said, "So homeless means not having a permanent
place." He noted that some churches and social organizations are
providing temporary places to sleep.
MS. PEARSON replied for the cold weather plan, Anchorage City
Church has opened the church at night for people to sleep. Also
Clair House or McKinnell Shelter can let them stay for one night
in overflow areas.
SENATOR DYSON said his parents took in homeless people when he
was growing up, and asked why the coalition can't find private
homes to help.
MS. PEARSON responded she did not know how to answer that
question.
SENATOR DYSON said liability may be an issue.
SENATOR MEYER asked why the numbers of homeless are increasing.
MS. PEARSON responded it is the gap between income and the cost
of housing. There is a two percent vacancy rate in Anchorage,
and when housing providers raise rents there is no corresponding
increase in income.
SENATOR MEYER asked if there is more than one church helping in
Anchorage.
MS.PEARSON answered she thinks there are two.
^Presentation: Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
ALASKA HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION
1:52:40 PM
CHAIR DAVIS announced the next presenter would be Mark Romick,
from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC).
MARK ROMICK, Director of Planning Department, Alaska Housing
Finance Corporation, said his role was to go over technical
information that was submitted to the committee in advance and
to briefly review the major points. AHFC is involved in a large
number of homeless impact programs, and this is partly due to
funding from the legislature.
A review of the public housing and voucher program shows that
average tenure of residents has increased from 3 years to over 8
years. This is because AHFC does not receive additional
vouchers. With a fixed number of vouchers and a fixed number of
dollars, and rent increases, they can serve fewer people. This
is a significant issue for AHFC.
The budget cuts now pending in Congress could mean a substantial
loss in operating revenue as well as a reduction in the number
of vouchers. The veterans voucher program is also being
discussed for a potential cut. AHFC has 95 vouchers set aside
for homeless veterans. These would be in jeopardy if the House
cuts pass. There is a gap between what people can afford to pay
for rent and what the average wage is in Alaska. Rent levels
have continued to increase but the Department of Labor reports
that average wage earnings have remained flat.
He also stressed the importance of job creation and natural
resource development. On one hand it is good for some people,
but for low income people it means the cost of housing rises and
there is less available housing as people move in from other
areas to take new jobs. This leads to doubling up and working
multiple jobs, and makes the housing situation more precarious
for some people. He noted that homelessness is increasing, but
the rate of increase is slowing. This coincides directly with
the increase in the Homeless Assistance Fund appropriated by the
legislature in 2009.
2:02:28 PM
DAN FAUSKE, Chair, Alaska Council for the Homeless and CEO of
AHFC, said he will speak about what is being done at the state
agency level. The Alaska Council for the Homeless is appointed
by the governor and includes state commissioners, local
officials, business representatives, and members of the public.
Homelessness is a complex problem with many subpopulations.
Aside from chronic inebriates, the vast majority are victims of
low incomes plus high rental costs. The key to decreasing
homelessness is a combination of housing, services, and
employment.
In 2009 the Council adopted a 10 year plan to end homelessness
in Alaska. It calls for a minimum $10 million investment
annually. The federal government is the largest funder of long
term housing assistance. This includes vouchers, subsidized
apartments, and Indian Housing grants. Wait lists for public
housing are growing; currently 6,653 households are on the AHFC
wait list. As more people get displaced from their current homes
and wait for assistance, AHFC and its funding partners, the
Mental Health Trust Authority and the legislature, work together
to address temporary housing needs through the state-funded
Homeless Assistance Program (HAP).
In FY10, 11,560 people were given shelter or short-term
financial assistance through the HAP in nearly a dozen Alaskan
communities. The economy has affected AHFC investment earnings;
thus, they were unable to contribute as much as they had in the
past. Governor Parnell has requested a combination of general
fund and mental health trust receipts to fund the program at
current levels.
2:06:54 PM
The key point is that solving this problem requires a commitment
to encourage development of housing options. Alaskan communities
have not done as much as they should to expand affordable
housing. Government has a role in insuring that quality housing
options are available. Mr. Fauske noted that Little Davis Bacon
Act wages required to be paid in federally funded construction
projects push the cost of housing up by 25 percent. It is ironic
that the state pays the highest wages when trying to house the
least fortunate. Construction costs to house disabled or
homeless people are up to $500 per square foot. AHFC is ready to
provide technical assistance to any locality to increase the
supply of affordable housing.
AHFC is also working on a bill that will authorize it to create
a subsidiary corporation to become a development partner with a
private entity in the acquisition, creation, and development of
affordable housing. AHFC is proud of what they have been able to
accomplish. They are committed to doing more.
Mr. Fauske said AHFC is analyzing ways to attack the problem. It
all comes down to money, but it must be spent wisely. The
housing wait list approaching 7,000 is quite dramatic. The fear
is, while Alaska needs the gasline project, when that project
happens, low income people will get further left behind. Rents
will go up; housing will become scarce. The Homeless Coalition
has discussed this. Another challenge is housing for newly
released prisoners. Unless they have family to help them, they
are homeless when they hit the street.
^Presentation: Neighbor Works Anchorage
NEIGHBOR WORKS ANCHORAGE
2:10:10 PM
CHAIR DAVIS announced the next presenter would be Deb Mahoney of
Neighbor Works Anchorage.
2:12:04 PM
DEBBIE MAHONEY, Executive Director, Neighbor Works Anchorage,
said their organization has housing, and they are struggling
with how to be successful in housing the people they are taking
in. If they can get them out of shelters and into permanent
housing, that allows more shelter beds to be available. This
involves supportive services to help people stay in permanent
housing.
MIKE COURTNEY, Deputy Director, Neighbor Works Anchorage,
stressed the need for wrap-around services to help individuals
stay in housing. The biggest issue is affordable rental housing;
Neighbor Works has nine properties with 950 rental units in
Anchorage. This involves more than just giving people a home;
they try to help them become self sufficient.
Neighbor Works partners with over 30 organizations to provide
safe, affordable housing. They also offer leadership training
and mentorship to help people become empowered to make better
choices. They participate in Homeless Connect events and work
with at-risk adults to provide training and tools to support
individuals as they work toward achieving their goals.
The Adelaide, a 73 unit building, serves a very low income
population. Neighbor Works is trying to develop new housing for
populations at risk, to prevent homelessness.
2:20:31 PM
The Connolly Square development is a Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) program for low income seniors over 62.
Neighbor Works also works with partners to assist hard-to-house
families; these might have a lot of past evictions, criminal
records, possibly substance abuse issues. They try to put these
families into a stable environment and keep them there. Neighbor
Works is reducing homelessness through community engagement and
partnerships. The whole community is needed. Every person they
house is one less person on the street.
^Presentation: Alaska Mental Health Board
ALASKA MENTAL HEALTH BOARD
2:22:08 PM
CHAIR DAVIS said the next presentation would be from the Alaska
Mental Health Board.
KATE BURKHART, Executive Director, Alaska Mental Health Board
and Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, said she would
focus on the people who experience homelessness. Recent and
historic point-in-time count data show that families experience
homelessness; 29 percent of the homeless households counted were
families with children. The national rate for this group was 23-
31 percent. During the 2009-2010 school years, Alaska school
districts identified 4,218 children as being homeless.
Homelessness affects a child's development, and can lead to
developmental delays. Children who have experienced homelessness
are more likely to develop health problems and more likely to
have behavioral problems. This can have a lifelong affect.
Veterans experience homelessness. In January of 2010, six
percent of those counted were veterans. They are more likely to
be single adult men. Alaska has the highest per capita
population of veterans in the country, and they are 16 percent
of all homeless adults nationally, although they only account
for eight percent of the total population. There is currently a
bipartisan effort in Congress to improve options for homeless
veterans.
2:26:58 PM
Youth become homeless for many reasons, including abandonment by
a parent, being kicked out of a home, being the victim of
physical or sexual abuse in the home, substance abuse by the
youth or by a parent, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, and
other family conflict. During the 2009-2010 school years in
Anchorage, 1,306 sophomores, juniors and seniors were homeless
some time during the school year.
Homeless youth are more at risk for suicide, exploitation,
developing mental health disorders and post traumatic stress
disorder, and developing substance use disorders. Young women
often become victims of human trafficking. Many young people
will not connect to services for fear of being returned to the
environment they fled, and many become involved in the drug
trade. Homelessness most often affects students in alternative
high schools and is a risk factor for dropping out of school.
2:29:13 PM
People with substance use disorders become homeless. Being a
substance abuser over 50 is a risk factor for early death. The
homeless population is aging. Cirrhosis of the liver, repeated
emergency room visits, and hospitalizations are frequent in
homeless individuals with substance abuse disorders. The longer
a person is homeless, the more important it is to consider those
factors that make them more vulnerable.
Victims of domestic violence experience homelessness. Sometimes
a person has a choice between having a home where they are
abused and having no home. Half of all women and children
experiencing homelessness report that they are fleeing domestic
violence. In Juneau a little over ten percent of the people
counted in January 2010 reported past domestic violence. This
was a 3.6 percent increase in the number of people reporting
past domestic violence.
2:32:20 PM
Newly released prisoners experience homelessness; many of them
were also homeless before they came into prison. The Department
of Corrections Discharge Incentive Grant tries to address the
housing needs of newly released prisoners. This program ensures
that people have a seamless transition when they are discharged
from corrections into housing, with intensive supports to help
them maintain that housing. This is made possible with an
appropriation of Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority funding.
It has served 43 people; with this seamless transition and
intensive supports, people stay out of jail. The reduction in
total jail bed days as a result of this program is almost 8,000
days.
People with serious mental illness experience homelessness. Of
the people counted in January 2010, 18 percent reported serious
mental illness. A large portion of the people surveyed refused
to answer this question. National data shows 26 percent of the
homeless experience serious mental illness. The Bridge Home
program in Anchorage provides a seamless transition to housing
with intensive supports. People coming out of institutions are
properly housed and provided supports needed to stay in housing.
Success is based on intensive supports, and a two year analysis
shows a significant decrease in readmissions.
2:35:50 PM
There are effective housing models, and most are tailored to the
needs of the specific populations they serve. Transitional
housing such as Covenant House addresses the specific needs of
youth. Programs that prioritize populations by vulnerability are
also very effective. Supportive housing for people experiencing
serious mental illness, such as Polaris House, and supportive
housing for chronic alcoholics such as the Karluk Manor project
in Anchorage, all are effective ways of providing supportive
housing.
Data shows that 5,281 Alaskans were homeless in 2010. There has
been a downturn in chronic homelessness; the number of homeless
is increasing, but the rate of growth is decreasing. Alaska is
making progress, but we are still a mile away from home.
^Presentation: RuralCap
RURALCAP
2:38:13 PM
CHAIR DAVIS announced the final speaker of the day would be
Kenny Scollan of RuralCap.
KENNY SCOLLAN, Anchorage Services Division Manager, Rural Alaska
Community Action Program (RuralCap), Anchorage, said RuralCap is
one of the largest and most established nonprofits in Alaska.
They started working with the homeless in 1997, with a program
called Homeward Bound. This is a transitional housing program to
help chronic street alcoholics reclaim their lives and reenter
society. The program has 25 beds; one criterion for admission to
the program was 40 community service patrol pickups in one year.
In fact, the first residents had averaged 114 pickups each. Once
they completed the program, this population had problems moving
out into the real world. There was no place for them to go.
In 1999 RuralCap started an affordable housing program by
purchasing three 4-plexes. The philosophy was to give homeless
people a new start. This was fairly successful, and they
expanded again in 2001, by purchasing two 8-plexes with a loan
from AHFC. With a grant from the Rasmusson Foundation, they were
able to make energy efficiency upgrades. They now had 28 2-
bedroom units, but their population tended to need single
bedrooms or efficiencies. So they purchased three 4-plexes, all
single bedroom units. They added handicapped ramps and were able
to serve the disabled population.
2:43:00 PM
They had low vacancy rates but a 25 percent turnover. The
population that wasn't making it needed more support. In 2008
they collaborated to get a special needs housing grant. They
purchased a property with eleven units but which was only zoned
for ten, so they had room for an office where they placed a
residential services specialist. This person provided
supervision, and knocked on every door every day. This worked
out well, and they opened up two more over the next three years.
One building is handicap accessible.
Another 20 percent had failed in this type of housing, so
RuralCap started looking at the Housing First model. There is a
single point of entry to control who comes in and out, and two
people on staff at all times. There is a limited visitor policy,
with no overnight stays allowed. They serve two meals per day,
and have 35 project based vouchers to help with rent. They are
trying to set aside some vouchers for veterans. This program
reduces drinking by about 30 percent. Of 13 people tracked,
prior to being housed they had 10-284 pickups a year, for a
total of 919 pickups. After being in housing for an average of
three years, the number of pickups dropped to 16. The program
does work. It costs about $60,000 dollars per year to keep a
late stage chronic alcoholic on the streets. In a program such
as Housing First, it costs $21,000 per year to house that
person.
2:49:50 PM
SENATOR ELLIS asked if the quality and variety of programs
offered at Karluk Manor will be diminished because of increased
costs.
MR. SCOLLAN responded RuralCap is expanding its budget. Many
changes were requested by the Community Council. Planning and
zoning requirements added an elevator, heated sidewalks, and two
people on staff. The Rasmusson Foundation has committed funding
to help with the elevator. RuralCap can afford to make these
changes. They did not have the money set aside but are committed
to making it happen. They hope to open by September first. The
only unknown is how long the permitting process will take.
SENATOR ELLIS said he would encourage RuralCap to keep a
dialogue going with the neighborhood.
SENATOR DYSON said he wanted to go on record as supporting the
Housing First concept. He thought originally that Homeward
Bound's mission was to equip people to return to their homes in
rural areas.
MR. SCOLLAN responded when the program first started part of
their mission was to return people to their home villages, since
78 percent of their population was Alaska Native. Most people
now don't want to return to the village.
2:55:58 PM
CHAIR DAVIS thanked the presenters and said they are doing a
good job. She noted some providers need funding from the
legislature. This is a community issue and we have to pull
together to make sure that people have a place to stay rather
than on the street. The reason doesn't matter; once they become
homeless they are victims.
2:57:10 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Davis adjourned the meeting at 2:57 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| AHFCs Role in Addressing Homelessness.pptx |
SHSS 3/9/2011 1:30:00 PM |