Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson proposed an idea to send some of the city’s homeless population to cities with milder climates, including Los Angeles. The mayor presented this plan at a news conference on Tuesday, stating the aim is to send homeless people either to places where their families can care for them or to warmer climates.
While no funding for the relocation program has been approved yet, Mayor Bronson expressed confidence that securing the necessary funds wouldn’t be a challenge. He noted that last summer, through a program associated with the Salvation Army, 11 individuals chose to be moved to the “lower 48 states.”
The mayor justified his proposal by stating that the previous year had been the deadliest for homeless individuals dying on Anchorage’s streets, and the upcoming winter could double the deaths. To counter this, he suggested purchasing airline tickets costing a few hundred dollars to save lives.
However, the proposal raises concerns as cities like Los Angeles are already struggling with a severe shortage of shelter beds for their large homeless population. The 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count revealed over 69,000 people experiencing homelessness countywide, a 4.1 percent increase from 2020, with nearly 70 percent unsheltered. This situation underscores the need for comprehensive and sustainable solutions to address homelessness across the country.