Anchorage scrambles to find enough housing for the homeless before the Alaska winter sets in

By MARK THIESSEN
Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson gained national attention this summer when he proposed buying one-way airfare out of Alaska’s largest city for anyone without housing who wanted to leave. Now, those free tickets are nowhere in sight and the city is scrambling to pull together a grab bag of housing options for its more than 3,000 unsheltered residents. City leaders estimate they still need to find up to 500 winter beds and the mood on the streets is grim. The Anchorage Assembly just approved $4 million in funds and will vote on additional details of an emergency plan next week before the first snow arrives.