To tackle the interrelated problems of homelessness, crime and addiction, we need an all-of-the-above strategy.
Like most cities across the country, Anchorage faces complicated challenges relating to homelessness, the drug epidemic and property crime. Although people colloquially refer to these problems as “homelessness,” we actually face multiple challenges that are related to one another but require targeted responses in terms of public policies and budgets. We can and must solve these problems if we work together — across party lines, and by partnering as state and local governments.
Property crime, open air drug markets, and chop shops in the park system may exist alongside homelessness, but are not the same thing. When people complain about the impact of “homelessness,” they are primarily concerned about aggressive property criminals, drug dealers and vagrants. Reducing crime requires a different policy response than homelessness. As state legislators, we haveand improved state policy around mental health crisis response.
The drug epidemic is the primary cause of rising property crime and vagrancy, and exacerbates homelessness. White-collar criminals in the pharmaceutical industry,, merely paying cash settlements that don’t even come close to covering costs of substance abuse treatment, policing, prosecution, and family intervention to protect children of addicts. Today, the drug epidemic is a.
To tackle the interrelated problems of homelessness, crime and addiction, we need an all-of-the-above strategy: More treatment for addiction, more funding for police and other first responders, and more housing support for families. Our local and state governments are facing a new paradigm as a result of the drug epidemic, housing price inflation, and long term labor market trends. These are challenging problems, but they are solvable if we work together.
The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email
Housing Drug State Crime Police People Treatment Addiction Anchorage Crisis America Cause Response Problem First Policy Problems Death Funding Vagrancy Adncom Challenges Challenge Term
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
City Council says yes to Mayor's 'City of Yes' zoning changes for businessesThe zoning plan, known as the “City of Yes: Zoning for Economic Opportunity” (ZEO), is a suite of 18 separate proposals that will loosen zoning rules around
Read more »
Opinion: Yes, carbon capture and storage is controversial—but it's going to be crucialRenewable energy sources such as wind and solar are vital tools to help us make cuts to the 36 billion tons of greenhouse gases we emit each year.
Read more »
What Does Moore v. United States Mean for a Future Wealth Tax?See multiple perspectives from National Review (Opinion), National Review (Opinion), and Vox at AllSides.com.
Read more »
What Do the EU Election Results Mean for Europe and the United States?See multiple perspectives from CNN (Opinion), Reuters, and Wall Street Journal (Opinion) at AllSides.com.
Read more »
How Can World Leaders Honor, Uphold the Ideals Fought for in WWII?See multiple perspectives from New York Times (Opinion), CNN (Opinion), and BBC News at AllSides.com.
Read more »
Did Biden's Border Executive Order Increase His Reelection Chances?See multiple perspectives from National Review (Opinion), New York Times (Opinion), and Reuters at AllSides.com.
Read more »