Anchorage mayor wants to give homeless people a one-way ticket to warm climates before Alaska winter

By MARK THIESSEN
Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An unfunded proposal by Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson to pay for plane tickets in the winter to warmer climates for homeless people has caused a stir in Alaska’s biggest city. Last year, eight people died of exposure in Anchorage, which is a record for the city. The closure of a large arena that served as its only large makeshift city shelter is sure to exacerbate the crisis in a place where winter temperatures regularly dip below zero. If the program moves forward, people can choose to relocate to the Lower 48 or somewhere else in Alaska where it might be warmer or where they have relatives.