As Mayor, the safety of our community is my primary concern. Yesterday, the Municipality
of Anchorage was sued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska over an upcoming
abatement near an elementary school in the North Star neighborhood. Abatement is a
public safety tool to break up encampments when they create safety issues.
The encampment is located within a few hundred feet of an elementary school, in a
municipally owned right-of-way. It has caused significant problems in the surrounding
neighborhood: Police data shows a high concentration of calls centered on the
encampment. Parks & Recreation Healthy Spaces staff have removed over 8,000 pounds of
trash from the site since November 2024, including over 1,000 pounds that slid down hill
from the camp onto a sidewalk, obstructing pedestrian traffic. The determination to post an
abatement was made thoughtfully and consistently with municipal code.
The Municipality has performed 17 abatements since I took office. Abatement is an
important short-term intervention to address immediate public safety needs in our
community.
This winter, the Municipality has provided over 530 shelter beds and stood up warming
operations. My team and I and are working aggressively toward a goal of seeing 10,000 new
housing units in Anchorage over the next 10 years. Anchorage has complex homelessness
and public safety concerns that require many tools to address, including housing and
shelter, as well as abatement and enforcement.
We take public safety seriously, and we are following the law.
MOA Legal Filing 2.11.2025
###
Media Contact: Berett Wilber 907.343.9641 berett.wilber@anchorageak.gov