Housing and Homelessness

With Patrick Sidmore of the Alaska Mental Health Board/Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

The fall meeting of the Alaska Council on the Homeless. For the full agenda, click here.

A broad overview of the basic elements of housing first project development. Session will focus on site selection practices; creative funding strategies for both capital and operational funding; selecting residents; dealing with opposition; and community relations strategies. Bill Hobson has been executive director of the Seattle’s DESC since 1988.

Featuring Mark Romick of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Tyler Robinson of Cook Inlet Housing Authority, Glenn Gellert of Volunteers of America, Corrine O’Neill of RurAL Cap, Mandy O’neal Cole of AWARE, Inc., and John Weaver of VRS.

Featuring Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority Program Officer Amanda Lofgren and Sean O’Brien of the Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Featuring Bill Hobson of Seattle’s DESC. Opposition to housing first developments can come from a variety of sources. This session will examine strategies to overcome each of these obstacles. It will also examine ways to develop a comprehensive community relations strategy to deal with each preemptively and to prevent them from re-appearing once the project…

Agenda items include the Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness, opportunities in VA Rural Health resources, and other updates. Featuring: Colleen Bickford, USICH Co-Chair & HUD Anchorage Field Office Susan Yeager, USICH Co-Chair, Alaska VA Healthcare System Eileen DeVine, VISN 20 Homeless Coordinator John Pendrey, Alaska VA – Health Care for Homeless Veterans

Featuring Troy Buckner of New Life Development, Inc., Cathleen McLaughlin of Partners for Progress and Gastineau Human Services.

Featuring Sam Tsemberis, founder and CEO of Pathways To Housing.

Speakers include TC Cassidy, of Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center, Diana Bline of Covenant House, Kathi Trawyer of the University of Alaska Anchorage, Walter Majoros of Juneau Youth Services and Michelle Overstreet of MY House.