Move the homeless from Sullivan Arena

Using Sullivan Arena as a mass homeless shelter seems like one of those ideas generated by an author spellbound by the notion of a dysmorphic society.

For those unfamiliar with the term, dysmorphia is a form of mental illness in which your world seems to be spinning out of control. And having the hapless and drug-addled among us filling the spaces of Alaska’s premier sports and entertainment venue fits that description.

Fortunately, the area’s political and community leaders seem to appreciate how problematic the emergency and temporary misallocation of valuable public property is to many people.

At one time the population the facility is now serving seemed to be a small portion of the community, one much to be pitied and perhaps dealt with through a free meal or financial handout. Who could have thought 20 years ago that the problem would become so great that a facility like Sullivan Arena would be converted to serve it?

The homeless will be moved out of the Sullivan when other housing becomes available for them, hopefully in the near future. About 400 people will be sheltered in various buildings in the coming weeks out of about 1,000 who have no roof over their heads on many nights. The city is looking at purchasing two hotels for the purpose, the Barratt Inn in Spenard and the Sockeye Hotel in Midtown. Also in the works is building a large homeless shelter and navigation center in East Anchorage.

Why there seem to be so many unsheltered folk right now is not altogether clear. Certainly the wide availability of “recreational” drugs is part of the problem. And our rather generous approach to dealing with such people has attracted the unhoused from places like Seattle and Portland, though those numbers are small.

Though the growing number of homeless people is alarming, it is a problem that has been with us for many years. Previously most people’s exposure to the unfortunates has been through being approached by panhandlers while walking in some stores or restaurants and on city streets. But even our smaller communities have always had populations of what some consider bums.

For many years the rootless folks got by — or died trying — on the generosity of good-hearted folk. In a cold-climate place like Alaska the existence of street people seems surprising, but that segment of society has always been with us. The advent of modern options in recreational drugs has worsened the problem and made it more obvious and harder to control.

Dealing with the homeless by housing them in Sullivan Arena obviously won’t work on a sustained basis. But the problem has become so large and painful to so many that longer-term solutions are now necessary. Fortunately we have enough good people with the drive and the wherewithal to address it on an appropriate scale.

Earlier this week the Sullivan was regularly sleeping nearly 500 people a night, filling all spaces in the open arena portion of the facility with the overflow sleeping on cots in the hallways and anywhere else the bunks could be stashed.

There are no simple solutions to the problem. The unfortunates who fill the cots have always been with us, though the widespread availability of modern recreational drugs has made the problem worse.

The kind people who are working to provide more reliable shelter for the drug-addled are to be thanked and congratulated for their efforts. Hopefully they will continue to be supported by those with large hearts and appropriate resources.

For now the challenge is to find food and housing for those in need, and to corral and supply them with such basic needs. Many of us are unable to imagine ourselves or our loved ones in such straits, but most of us may be able to see how friends or family might suffer such a fall under really bad circumstances.

In the coming months the presence of the homeless in our communities may spread to places closer to ourselves or to those we care about. Efforts are underway to provide temporary shelter facilities in widespread neighborhoods.

Let’s hope we can meet the challenge and gather our wits and resources to assist the many who need them.