The death of a man who was sleeping outside in Fairbanks just days before christmas, at a time when the temperature was 50 degrees below it has brought to light a shocking aspect of Alaska’s second-largest town.
Fairbanks is the only city with no low-barrier housing for those who are homeless. Advocates claim that is a huge space in the already thin safety net Fairbanks can provide to offer homeless people a chance to survive winter in the most frigid city in the United States.
This is what a team of reporters of The Anchorage Daily News documented in the latest story.
ADN journalist Michelle Theriault Boots says 55-year-old Charles Ahkiviana’s tragic death in a frozen snowbank, not far from a store was a wake-up call to an unsettling fact that being homeless in Fairbanks could be dangerous.
Listen:
The transcript that follows has been lightly edited to improve clarity.
Michelle Theriault Boots This was an unambiguous case of this person was killed due to exposure in the environment. It was one of those situations that we all have heard of at some level is happening. It was put in such a way that it was difficult to overlook. The unhoused man perished in a snowbank during a winter storm which no one should be able to survive in the winter. And, of course there were lots of questions. Did he attempt to find shelter? What was he up to out there? This is what got us interested in exploring. After speaking with some of the advocates there and we discovered that there’s not, I think, what people in Anchorage might be thinking about is the low-barrier shelter. It’s an area where anyone is welcome, no matter whether they’ve had a drink or drink, or if they’re taking any substance, can enter and look for an overnight shelter. So that mix of weather that can be deadly often, and no shelter for low-barriers, made us wonder. We decided to head up there and experience it the area for ourselves.
Casey Grove: What does it mean that you don’t have a shelter that is low-barrier? In other words I’m sitting in Anchorage and it’s not as if Anchorage hasn’t done an excellent job in helping people who do not have a home however, there’s some difference between the two kinds of shelters, don’t you think?
Michelle Theriault Boots: Yeah. Fairbanks has a group called”the Fairbanks Rescue Mission which is a well-established organization. However, there are rigorous rules and guidelines that you must follow before you can be admitted. It includes taking a breathalyzer , being clean -at least 0.0 sober and taking a test to determine if you’re taking substances. They don’t permit anyone who is on any substance and, as advocates say there are a lot of homeless. This is a large portion of people who, in the sense of, are permanently unhoused or homeless Fairbanks. While everyone agrees or appears to agree with there is a good reason why the Fairbanks Rescue Mission does a significant and worthwhile work, some advocates claim there’s a massive gap in the safety net. This would be a shelter with a low barrier that can be used by all. You are able to enter at any time of the day or night, and simply take refuge from the frigid cold.
Casey Grove: You were also paired with photographer Marc Lester with the Anchorage Daily News. You along with Marc traveled with the people to observe the conditions they faced in Fairbanks as homeless people and Marc captured some stunning photographs that make a significant contribution to the telling of this story, I believe. Tell me and for radio viewers What did you observe? What kinds of things were people doing to stay alive?
Michelle Theriault-Boots Well, I am referring to the fact that we first visited a few tent encampments where people were putting camp in greenbelts, tiny forests. We also visited an abandoned house , where people were sleeping. The place was filled with things, and filled with belongings, probably. There was no telling the number of people who had passed through it. It was dark, however it was being heated or was attempting to warm it up, by simply leaving the oven door open. This was quite rough way of living. Then we spoke to an individual known as Scott who was talking about walking through the night. People try to put on bunny shoes and as cozy a pair of shoes and coats as they are able to, and then continue to move, in constantly moving. The odd logic is that to enter the sobering center that is a safe, warm place to stay overnight, you have drink. To be able to participate in the mission, you need to be drunk. Some people mentioned to us that these are the two choices. We really observed many different efforts to provide secure shelter for those in need however the system isn’t well-developed enough to provide the capability of providing the services that are needed.
Casey Grove: In terms of the services similar to those the kind that people offer in Fairbanks where you were, you spoke with the people who run the soup kitchen in Fairbanks. There was a portion of the story that described how one of them told you that about how they are suffering, they told you to look at the world, isn’t it? Let me know about it.
Michelle Theriault’s Boots Yes, that’s right. I refer to the chef. Matt stated, “Look around. The majority of people who come at breakfast are missing fingers because of frostbite.” It’s difficult to imagine a more rough tough place to be homeless as Fairbanks. We also met a lot of people particularly the homeless people we spoke to, were very open in talking with us and giving us a glimpse into their lives. Really, that’s true. It’s not easy, and it takes a lot of inventive hard work to become living in Fairbanks and to make it through as the climate is so harsh. The gap between living night and dying, it’s really tiny, and I’m sure it’s always at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Casey Grove: Oh yeah. Like you’ve said previously many people believe is that we need shelters with low barriers. What’s to come to that? Are they on the way towards achieving something similar to that? Or is it not? Do you have a preference?
Michelle Theriault Boots It seemed like there was a indication that things were headed in this direction. The city of Fairbanks has an director of housing who would would like to have a barrier-less facility that is some sort but this isn’t something I believe Fairbanks will adopt on its own, like what was the case in Anchorage. It’s important to keep in mind that the fact that in Anchorage it’s a new development that actually occurred at the time of the COVID epidemic. However, I believe there’s an increasing awareness that what’s accessible isn’t sufficient.
Casey Grove: Gotcha. Yeah. You’re meeting these people on the streets like the man you spoke about who, in order to keep warm and warm, would walk all night. And they’re in a danger situation, of course I was thinking what I could do as a reporter. we’re not supposed to be involved emotionally or engaged or anything of the sort. However, did you think whether that person would survive the winter?
Michelle Theriault Boots: Oh, absolutely. I’m thinking of everyone we spoke to, those who were gracious with their time and willingness to speak to us, but there’s always a thought and anxiety in the back of your mind. Nobody really knew what they were planning to stay that night. So it’s difficult to predict what the future is going to bring. However, I wish the best for everyone of them. And I am also aware that the most difficult people in the world are those who have no protection within Fairbanks, Alaska, and trying to find a way and survive.
