Copyright Anchorage Daily News
State and city officials said Tuesday that they are scrambling to find private accommodations at hotels, short-term rentals and dormitories for hundreds of evacuees in Anchorage after the remnants of Typhoon Halong damaged their homes in Western Alaska. The state also said Tuesday that it has set up a housing task force to spearhead the effort. “We understand that some people may be able to return home soon while others may be in Anchorage for longer while repairs to homes and infrastructure are made,” Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said at a press conference at City Hall. “This reality demands more than a short-term shelter plan.” The efforts come as the response to the catastrophic storm moves its focus beyond evacuations to finding support for displaced victims. More than 650 residents from the region were evacuated into Anchorage and more may be coming, city officials said. [How to help the ‘evolving needs’ of Western Alaska evacuees in Anchorage] About half of the storm victims are sleeping on cots at the Alaska Airlines Center or the Egan Civic and Convention Center, while others have taken shelter with families, the officials said. As of Monday evening, there were a total of 338 people at the shelters, according to the state — 178 at the Egan Center and 160 at the Alaska Airlines Center. Gov. Mike Dunleavy and some Alaska organizations have called on President Donald Trump to declare the event a disaster to unlock federal assistance, personnel and other support. The storm swept away homes and damaged villages across the region, especially Kipnuk and Kwigillingok on the coast. It killed one person and left two missing. [With storm evacuations winding down, Western Alaska families stare down an uncertain displacement in Anchorage] The city of Anchorage has identified more than 1,000 available hotel rooms plus space at Airbnbs, and is sharing that information with the state task force, Municipal Manager Becky Windt Pearson said. “We’re working to expedite the movement of people from shelters to hotels really in collaboration with the state’s housing task force to began meeting on Monday to facilitate this transition,” she said. The units will give storm victims privacy and autonomy, she said. The support from the municipality has included access to municipal recreation centers for bathing and recreation, AnchorRIDES providing transportation to medical appointments, and People Mover bus passes for evacuees and transit department navigators to help with orientation and training, she said. The state of Alaska said in a statement Tuesday that it has formed a housing task force to find better accommodations for the evacuees. The task force includes the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., Alaska Native health and housing organizations, Western Alaska groups, the Rasmuson Foundation, the municipality and other entities. The Alaska Disaster Housing Task Force will work to provide housing at hotels and elsewhere, and find appropriate fits for flood victims who need a place, the State Emergency Operations Center said in the statement. The state did not describe how long it would be before hotel and other units are available. The task force is being led by the state and Alaska Housing Finance Corp. “The goal is to work with all partners to get evacuees out of group shelters and into better accommodations, in some cases longer-term temporary housing,” Dunleavy said in a written statement. “Right now, storm survivors are being matched with housing options. We are also working to fix homes so those who can return to their community will be able to do so.” Tyson Gallagher, Dunleavy’s chief of staff, said in a presentation to the Alaska Travel Industry Association on Tuesday that the state is looking at residential boarding school options around Alaska that could support whole families. “We’re seeing what spots are available in residential boarding schools around the state like Mt. Edgecumbe and Galena,” Gallagher said. “We’re also looking at some local education options, options that are gonna incorporate as much of their culture and the way of life that they’re used to, here in Anchorage.” Jharrett Bryantt, superintendent of the Anchorage School District, said more than 130 students have been enrolled in local schools. They are largely attending College Gate Elementary with its Yup’ik immersion program, Wendler Middle School and Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School, officials said at the event. Parents have a choice, and some have opted to enroll their children in other schools as well, he said. Buses are picking up students at the shelters, he said. “Our role in this effort is to welcome our families and students with open arms, and we’ve been proud to do that over the past week,” Bryantt said, speaking to reporters at the press conference. The State’s Individual Assistance program includes a temporary housing program that can provide homeowners with 18 months and renters with three months of housing assistance, the statement said. The state said applications to acquire housing begins with registrations at: • American Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS • State of Alaska Individual Assistance at ready.alaska.gov/ia or by calling 844-445-7131. Individuals have 60 days following a disaster declaration to complete an application. As of Tuesday afternoon, the state said it had received 840 applications. “While our goal is to get people back into their homes and communities as fast as possible that may not be possible before winter sets in,” said Bryan Fisher, director of the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “When we can’t get people back home, we will look at the needs of each IA applicant and match them with a housing option.” The Individual and Family Grant and Temporary Housing Program can provide assistance to individuals or families to meet disaster-related expenses and needs, the statement said.
