A collaborative approach to housing
The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness and the Municipality of Anchorage looked to a model program led by the Houston, Texas-based Coalition for the Homeless to create our community’s project. We brought the Houston team to Anchorage to meet with service providers, the Municipality and our staff.
What Anchorage leaders are saying about Next Step
Mayor Dave Bronson
“The Next Step initiative is a great step in the right direction. The goal to move 150 people from cold weather shelter to permanent housing by the end of April is one that I fully support.”
Felix Rivera, Anchorage Assembly Chair, Committee on Housing and Homelessness
“I want to prove the concept and then I want to plan for what's next, the next 300, the next 500, whatever that next step is. I want to build community buy-in on this model and build the bench of leadership.”
Chris Constant, Anchorage Assembly Chair
“We have the right partners, we have the right infrastructure, and we have the right regulations to make it work. Now we just need to find some more money.”
Houston, Texas, has reduced homelessness by more than 60% since 2012. Leaders in the effort visited Anchorage in December 2023 to share their knowledge. Here is some of their encouragement and guidance.
“It’s fiscally responsible. … Ninety percent of those people are going to be successful and be able to move on with their lives and build full lives.”
— Mike Nichols, Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County President and CEO
“The key here is really engaging everybody. There's religious communities, the business community, philanthropy, the general public. You want all of these folks together. It's the power when you really get down to it.”
— Bob Eury, Houston business leader
“Just think about how great this project can be and then how great the next few years are going to be for all of you. …You're definitely on the right path.”
— Ana Rausch, Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County Vice president of program operations
“Let's look at data. … There's a lot of political theories masquerading as solutions out there that have absolutely no data to back it up. The only data out there that shows substantial reductions in homelessness is housing with services.”
— Marc Eichenbaum, Special assistant to Houston mayor, homelessness initiatives