Welcome to Help Anchorage: An Effort to Address the Housing and Public Health and Safety Crisis

State budget cuts create an impending humanitarian crisis for the Anchorage community

United Way is conducting this campaign pro bono on behalf of Anchorage service providers and is waiving all administrative fees. All funds will be directly contributed to the Help Anchorage Campaign.

 

On July 24, 2019, Mayor Ethan Berkowitz declared a Civil Emergency in the Municipality of Anchorage to address the impacts of state budget cuts that pose dire and imminent public health and safety risks. The declaration allows the mayor to make use of all available resources of the municipal government to address the emergency. The United Way is launching the #HelpAnchorage campaign to support service providers in rising to meet the challenges of this impending humanitarian crisis.

The state budget cuts in Anchorage include:

• $5.8 million to Anchorage-specific services to homeless individuals, a cut which will result in a projected 800 more homeless individuals in our community, the elimination of 229 nightly shelter beds and 561 year-round housing beds, and adding significantly to the burden of first responders.
• Cuts to Medicaid, senior benefits, legal services, food banks, domestic violence case management and support, and behavioral health, causing public health and public safety emergencies and the eviction of our most vulnerable residents.
• A 41 percent cut to the state’s contribution to the University of Alaska, resulting in the projected loss of 700 jobs in Anchorage and pushing the economy into recession.

United Way of Anchorage has created this Help Anchorage campaign page on behalf of service providers that have been impacted by state budget cuts. The immediate focus of the campaign is to address the impacts to homelessness services in Anchorage, particularly the impending shelter crisis with the temporary closure of the Brother Francis Shelter on August 1.

The United Way is working with the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness to develop a process for additional service providers to connect with resources collected by the Help Anchorage campaign.

Get Involved!

Service Providers: Contact Jasmine Boyle at Communications@aceh.org with questions or to learn how your organization can become involved in this effort to address this impending humanitarian crisis in Anchorage.

Take Action Today: You can make a difference in this emergency by making a contribution by clicking the DONATE button. Tax ID number: 920027948. The United Way is conducting this campaign pro bono on behalf of Anchorage service providers and is waiving all administrative fees. All funds will be directly contributed to the Help Anchorage Campaign.

Help Anchorage Emergency Phone and Email: Mayor Berkowitz and the Anchorage Assembly want to hear directly from the community. Leave a message at (907) 343-4001 or helpanchorage@anchorageak.gov. Your message will be forwarded to the Administration and the Anchorage Assembly.

Proclamation of Emergency: Housing, Public Health, and Safety Crisis

Press Release: City Braces for Unprecedented Housing and Public Health and Safety Crisis