Centennial Park is seeing people go from homeless to housed

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Centennial Park Campground remains packed, but shifting, as the Salvation Army works with those staying there to get them into permanent housing.

Salvation Army Captain Kevin Pope said it has already been able to find housing and placement for almost 40 people from the campground, and it said it expects that number to grow.

“We are seeing successes,” Pope said. “We’re seeing individuals get either into shelter and housing or back home and so we’re just going to continue to take it one day at a time and work with those that want the help.”

Back in July, the Salvation Army took charge of onsite management of client care at Centennial.

Pope said the campground is currently full, but it’s changing daily as people are coming in and out of the park, meaning there’s a constant renewed need for donations.

The group is specifically looking for personal hygiene products, tents, and sleeping mats as the population at the campground continues to change. Pope said there is another need, a need for more people to help.

“We’re also looking for volunteers,” Pope said. “We still need volunteers to help us daily to go around and to do the census, to talk to the clients, those who are staying at the campsites and gathering information and helping us to keep current on who’s there and what services are needed.”

Another one of the major needs is identification cards, and the Salvation Army said it’s working with the Department of Motor Vehicles to make that happen.

“So right now we’re finding a need for clients that need help getting an ID, that’s a big barrier right now for you know, getting into housing or even to get a plane ticket to fly back home,” Pope said.

Though flyers indicated the use of the campground for the homeless through the month of July, the office of the mayor has not specified a new end date, but says the solution is a temporary one. Mayor Bronson’s spokesperson Corey Allen Young addressed the issue of the campground’s duration in an email.

“The Municipality of Anchorage is actively working with community partners to place people in shelter, services, treatment, and permanent housing on a daily basis,” Young wrote. “These efforts which include standing up the Navigation Center later this year and providing other sheltering/housing options will continue as long as there is a need in our community.”

Anchorage residents who want to drop off donations can take them to the Salvation Army’s McKinnell Family Shelter in Anchorage, or call 907-276-2515 for more information.

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