Record Homeless Deaths in Anchorage Amid Historic Snowstorm

City Struggles to House Homeless Population After Mass Shelter Closure, as Winter Weather Intensifies

Four homeless people, including two disabled individuals, died in Anchorage, Alaska, during a historic snowstorm that dumped over two feet of snow in 48 hours, bringing the total homeless deaths in the city to a record 49 this year.
The victims were living in makeshift encampments that had formed after the city's mass shelter was closed during the pandemic, with one woman dying when her shelter caught fire during the storm.
Anchorage has been struggling to find housing solutions for the homeless since the mass shelter closure, with a proposal by Mayor Dave Bronson to give homeless people one-way tickets to warmer climates failing to gain traction.
The city has been attempting to move people into hotel rooms and other facilities, but hundreds are estimated to still be on the streets as freezing temperatures set in.
The city plans to present a proposal to add 50 beds to a new 150-bed mass shelter at the city's old waste transfer station administration building, but concerns remain about the lack of a long-term housing solution.