Residents Resistant Against 'Red Roof' Inebriate Housing

[Goman Fox]

Plans to transform the downtown Red Roof Inn into a housing complex for chronic public inebriates has opened up a 15-day public comment period.

http://www.ktva.com/local/ci_15135188

What are your opinions on this matter?

[Derval]

I had seen signs against it before I even knew what was going on. From what I understand, the housing does not require the drunks to clean themselves up? Honestly that is upsetting. Alcohol is destroying these people's lives and they're being essentially told that it's ok and that they'll be taken care of and they don't need to do anything to fix themselves. It's too enabling.

[Oni]

If they want help there are resources for them.
You can't help those who wont help themselves, well you can.... But you will be helping them for the rest of your life.
I figure there are resources for them. If they wanted to use them they would.

[Goman Fox]

Maybe the reason they're planning to do it there was because of the concern the person in the video had: it's a high traffic area.

Chronic drunks + high traffic = secret plot to lower alcoholic population in Anchorage!? :O

I'm just kidding of course, but it does seem like a stupid idea, not just for the location, but because it's not going to do anything to help them quit drinking.  Y'know, sure, it sucks when they get drunk in the winter, pass out in a ditch somewhere and freeze to death, but that's their own damn fault.  I don't really have sympathy for people that do stupid sh** when they're drunk because they made the choice to do it, and I really don't think the city should be responsible for these people either.  It's a waste of money to provide a place to live to people that don't care enough about themselves to do it on their own.

[Oni]

Why not turn it into a shelter for Domestic Violence, women in need, any number of other ideas for people who actually NEED the help.

And have it set up that while you are there and using the facilities you help support and tend to it.

As far as the "Drunks"

Why not simply leave them be? There is enough programs out there to tend to them if t hey choose to use them. They choose to stay on the streets, milk the system, beg for money. That's there choice. it should not be the public's responsibility to take care of those who choose not to take care of themselves. If they want help there is resources.

Plus I like the Restaurant that is in that Hotel, and just what do you think that will do to the business that is there?

[straw]

everybody needs a home.

if a guy is going to drink to the point that he (or she) messes up his life (loses his home/family), does that mean they lose their right to life/liberty? we can never tell what causes some behaviors in people. i'm sure in many cases the responsibility would fall on the individual. on the other hand, environment plays an incredibly influential role. some people grow up damaged emotionally and never recover.

hypothetical: let's say our friend 'dave' likes to get hammered (for whatever reason). drinks away paycheck. loses home. lives on street.
should he find a tree to tent under? a bridge? homeless shelters (i'm unaware of what is currently available)?
whether this particular project is a good idea or not, i dunno. i do think people should be entitled to basic needs. food, water, shelter, clothing should come for free just to dignify your existence as a human being. nothing fancy, just the basics.
and free tea!
*notices soapbox, looks around awkwardly, steps down*

note: being rather new to anchorage, the basics seem more readily available here rather than 'back home'. this is nice.

p.s. isn't awkward spelled awkwardly? i had to look it up.

[Goman Fox]

Really the problem I have with the idea is that it's a place for drunks to basically get a free living for doing nothing but drink.  Like Derval pointed out, the way it's proposed, it's practically encouraging these people to keep drinking because they'll know that they don't need to worry about finding a warm place to sleep at night.  If it was part of a program to help people sober up, I'd be all for it, but from the sounds of it, it's not.  The money spent to maintain this drunk-house could be better spent helping people that actually want to improve their lives.

[LoReN]

This is purely insanity, let's put a ton of drunks in a building and hope no crime happens?? Whatever! I think there are so many better use's for a building like this. Such as a shelter for women and child to protect them from domestic violence.
Considering most of these homeless drunks get their money from the state one way or another why should we also pay taxes to pay for them to have a roof over their head when they are to intoxicated to go to a normal shelter. We are just enabling them to stay the same and NOT change! Stupid Stupid Stupid!!

[Oni]

I figured I would post an updated on this thread.

http://www.adn.com/2010/07/18/1372069/home-for-inebriates-gets-a-hearing.html

A months-long battle over Anchorage's first big housing project for homeless alcoholics will come to a head today when both sides take their arguments to the city's Planning and Zoning Commission.

 At stake: A project that many advocates for the homeless say is Anchorage's best chance to get some of the city's most vulnerable and hardest-core alcoholics off the streets and out of the parks, woods and greenbelts, where 23 have died over the last 14 months. Most were worn down by years of hard living.

At Karluk Manor, they won't have to stop drinking, but, based on the experience of a similar program in Seattle, they might drink less once they have a warm bed, ready meals and services on site. And backers say they are more likely to do their drinking indoors. They will be safer and so will the neighborhood, advocates say.

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