Talking Homelessness with the Mayor of Anchorage

by Mark Horvath · 2010-03-07 11:32:00 UTC
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Blogger Mark Horvath is reporting from his trip to Alaska, where the homeless are subjected to the elements and die at alarming rates. Read his previous post here.

I was really honored that Mayor Dan Sullivan took the time out of his busy schedule to speak with me this week. Anchorage, Alaska has a serious homeless problem and, making matters worse, a serious alcohol abuse problem. I was told that the official number of deaths of homeless people in 2009 was 12 to 14. Most all were alcohol-related. What has not been officially reported is the number of deaths of people found in hotels, so the actual number of deaths is higher.

How serious is the problem? Several of the people were found dead with Listerine bottles next to the body. Original formula Listerine is 26.9 percent alcohol, making it approximately 54 proof. When stores are closed, or sale is refused, people addicted to alcohol drink Listerine.

In my next post I will write about my own addiction to alcohol 20 and 30 years ago to help give some perspective. I also rode along with Anchorage Police and I am still trying to process everything I experienced. I will write about that, too, and add a video made with a member of the police force.I wish I had answers for this community. The people of Anchorage are some of the nicest I have ever met. From what I saw (I was there three days), Mayor Sullivan is taking some right steps to solve a huge problem. But talk is talk and the community must work together to turn talk into action. After this interview Mayor Sullivan allowed me to join a homeless task force meeting. To be honest,  I got emotional in the meeting. Not because I was there, but because I kept on thinking about what would happen in Los Angeles if all the homeless service providers and politicians got in a room and worked out real solutions.

The Anchorage Press wrote a story about my visit. You can read it here.

Mark Horvath is an activist for the homeless. He vlogs at invisiblepeople.tv and blogs at hardlynormal.com. He was formerly homeless in Hollywood.
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