Anchorage Health Department plans three resolutions: ICA data contract, AAHLT supportive services, Bloomberg micro-unit grant

Kimberly Rasch, director of the Anchorage Health Department, told the Assembly Housing and Homeless Committee on Oct. 15 that the department will bring three resolution memorandums to the committee in the coming weeks to improve data reporting, support services and micro-unit housing development.

Rasch said the first memorandum would fund work with the Institute for Community Alliances (ICA), which manages AKHMIS, to produce comprehensive reports from HMIS and reduce piecemeal manual reporting by grantees. "They are the unique entity that manages AKHMIS, and ICA can easily generate comprehensive reports that make the reporting process much more efficient and reduces AHD's administrative burden," Rasch said.

The second item will be a substantial amendment to the HOME-ARP allocation plan to provide supportive-services funding for the Anchorage Affordable Housing and Land Trust (AAHLT). Rasch said the administration is proposing $550,000 in HOME-ARP/CDBG funds to AAHLT to support on-site case management and integrated supportive services; she described AAHLT as a sole source for pairing affordable housing with on-site services under this funding stream. The department said a public-notice and comment period is under way and that a draft is expected for the Nov. 4 meeting.

The third is a micro-unit grant: the health department said it is the recipient of $400,000 from Bloomberg Philanthropies through a Cities initiative to support micro-unit development. Those funds would flow to the Anchorage Community Development Authority (ACDA) to add units to an existing project that already received $1.2 million from the municipal opioid settlement remediation funds. Rasch and mayor's office staff said the Bloomberg funds would allow ACDA to add possibly eight additional micro-units, including at least one ADA-accessible unit; the project team is awaiting a final cost estimate and one remaining electrical permit, and adding units will extend construction by a few weeks.

Why it matters: The three items collectively target data infrastructure (HMIS reporting), supportive services tied to housing and adding small-unit housing stock — all of which are intended to speed exits from shelter and provide continuing supports in place.

Timing and next steps - ICA/HMIS contracting work and dollar amounts for that contract were discussed but the exact contract value was not finalized at the meeting. - AAHLT supportive-services amendment is scheduled for the committee’s first November meeting and the public-notice period is active; a draft was expected for Nov. 4. - Bloomberg micro-unit grant funds will be accepted via the next agenda addendum; ACDA reported site work and interior finishes underway and an anticipated completion timeline around November for the current build; adding units will push the schedule by several weeks while cost estimates are finalized.