Connecting with and counting unhoused neighbors

The annual Point-in-Time Count of those experiencing homelessness in Anchorage took place Jan. 28-30, asking our unhoused neighbors where they spent the night on Jan. 27.

Teams connected with those staying outdoors as well as those who are in shelters, hospital emergency rooms (and no fixed address), the warming center and other gathering places.

To find those who are unsheltered, teams walked wooded trails and crossed frozen creeks to check camps, returning if no one was home the first time. They went to convenience stores and bus stations, hospital emergency rooms and parking lots. And they brought welcome goods: Ziplocs with hats and gloves, socks and handwarmers, protein shakes and other food items.

This year, for those sleeping outdoors or other places where no one should live, we added a bonus question: Why didn’t they stay in a shelter?

The U.S. Department of Housing and Development directs continuums of care — the networks of those addressing homelessness — to conduct the count to monitor trends and provide data on the state of homelessness. ACEH is the lead organization for the Anchorage Continuum of Care. The count, which is unfunded, kicked off on a day that the Trump Administration froze federal grants.

Those helping the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness with this year’s count include: AmeriCorps members, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Covenant House Alaska, Henning Inc., RurAL CAP, SALA Medical and outreach volunteers.

The data is now being compiled and will be released later this year.