The Housing First Project in September 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

The Housing First Project in September 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Housing First facility may more than double in size

Program board currently applying for grant that would expand homeless housing

The Housing First facility may be more than doubling its residents.

Bruce Denton, Vice Chair on the Housing First board, said Housing First — a 32-room supportive housing facility in Lemon Creek geared toward housing homeless alcoholics and inebriates — has submitted an application for grant funding that would cover the costs of construction and maintenance to expand the current housing by approximately 45 more rooms at the same location.

The grant, through Alaska Housing and Finance Corporation Greater Opportunities for Affordable Living funding, would accumulate to $2.8 million total, with $1.8 million going toward operating funds spread out over three years. If the funding is approved, this would be part of the phase two expansion at Housing First’s residential facility.

“This was in mind during phase one,” Denton said in an interview with the Empire at the Juneau Chamber of Commerce weekly luncheon at the Moose Lodge Thursday. “There were limitations on how much money we could get. So we built phase one. We already have the property ready for the second phase.”

Heidi Brocious gave an update to the chamber on Housing First, which is nearing its year anniversary in September. Brocious, professor of social work at University of Alaska Fairbanks, discussed data that was released June 25 about the program’s progress in its first six months. This data showed drastic decreases in the number of police and fire department calls, usage of the sleep-off center at Bartlett Regional Hospital and times going to the Bartlett Regional Hospital emergency room for tenants in the facility, compared to six months ago before they moved in.

The overall numbers, collected from the departments and given to a UAF investigative team stated that visits to the sleep-off center went from 344 visits during the six months before tenants moved into Housing First, to two visits in the six months afterward. Visits to the ER dropped from 360 to 126, contact with Juneau Police Department for any reason went down from 604 to 168 and transport by Capital City Fire/Rescue fell from 137 to 63.

Brocious added that this was the first of several studies that will be released through a three-year period, and the first of three this year. Brocious said her team is currently working on interviews conducted in April with various people in town that includes emergency services responders, the staff at Bartlett Regional Hospital and local business owners on whether they have witnessed any effects from Housing First. Brocious said they will begin transcribing those interviews next week and the study is expected to be released this fall. A one-year study, similar to the six-month study, will also be released this fall.

Denton said the data, funded by an $18,000 grant from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, supports expanding the facility because the early numbers concluded that it has helped clients and emergency service numbers.

Homelessness is still a major issue in Juneau. In May, City and Borough Chief Housing Officer Scott Ciambor gave the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly an overview of an increase in homelessness. Ciambor reported 235 people were accounted for in unshelter, emergency shelter or transitional housing. This number is an increase from 2016 (211) and 2017 (215).

Denton said there is no timeline on if or when the project would receive funding but did say applications are due by Oct. 5 for the Alaska Housing and Finance Corporation funding. If the funding is granted, work on phase two could begin next year.

“Best case scenario, construction would begin in spring of 2019 and be done by the end of the year,” Denton said.


• Contact reporter Gregory Philson at gphilson@juneauempire.com or call at 523-2265. Follow him on Twitter at @GTPhilson.


More in News

(Juneau E
Aurora forecast for the week of Nov. 27

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Friday, Dec. 8, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Emma Pokon, commissioner-designee of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, discusses wood stove pollution regulations affecting the Fairbanks-North Star Borough during a Nov. 26 forum. (Screenshot from video by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation)
Newly designated state DEC commissioner strong supporter of Dunleavy’s challenge to federal authority

Emma Pokon, as state attorney, wrote legislation eliminating independent cruise monitoring program.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Photo by Valeriya / Getty Images Plus)
Negotiations to decide insurance status of Alaska patients of Providence affiliates

Three health care provider groups with Alaska’s largest hospital have notified the… Continue reading

Harborview Elementary School was briefly evacuated Friday after a bomb threat was received at midday, according to the Juneau Police Department. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Harborview Elementary School briefly evacuated after bomb threat

Police say incident appears connected to other threats at Alaska schools in recent months.

Michael Carter selects chips from a large box while Kalie Purkey wheels their 1-year-old daughter, Oaklynn Carter, along the row of tables at the Southeast Alaska Food Bank’s weekly food pantry on Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
‘New normal’ is long waits for SNAP benefits and long lines at food pantries

Juneau residents cite variety of reasons for being part of backlog of more than 12,000 applicants.

Constantine president Peter Mercer descends from a helicopter after a tour of drilling sites in August. Mercer said drilling work will be similar in the next two or three years, as the company starts to transition to more economic, environmental,. and engineering analysis that will result in a full plan for how to access the ore, which the company is shooting to release in 2026. (Lex Treinen / Chilkat Valley News)
Constantine Mining president lays out timeline for Palmer Project work

Project north of Haines at least five years from decisions about mine development, executive says

Most Read