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Anchorage shelters report full rosters but turnover; city tracks ‘turnaways’ as surge-planning metric
Summary
Health department and operators told the Assembly multiple shelters are operating at capacity with high turnover, a recent weekend produced 75 recorded turnaways (not unique individuals) and staff flagged the need to define surge triggers and authority for expanded capacity.
City and provider staff told the Assembly the fall shelter system is functioning but stressed that “full” daily counts reflect bed turnover rather than static occupancy of the same people.
Kathleen (staff member) explained that the health department maintains a daily spreadsheet, completed by shelter operators, that records occupancy, length of stay and turnaways — people who sought shelter but could not get a bed that night. The health department reported 75 turnaway events over a recent three-day period, but staff clarified those 75 events are not unduplicated people.
Shelter operators described operational changes aimed at increasing…
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