Supportive Housing for Homeless Elders Opens in Anchorage
Providence Alaska CEO Ella Goss, at left, watches a friendship dance that accompanied the traditional cutting of a blue ribbon with oversized scissors to open the Q’et’en Qenq’a “Elder’s House” supportive housing facility.
Photo Credit: Alaska Business
Seniors experiencing homelessness in Anchorage have a new shelter option. A ribbon-cutting ceremony formally opened Providence House, a facility in Midtown designed as permanent supportive housing for senior citizens who have nowhere else to live.
Welcome to the Neighborhood
“In part of our culture, we honor the elders by caring for them, giving them the firstfruits of our harvest,” said Michelle Baker, executive vice president of behavioral health services at Southcentral Foundation.
Also named Q’et’en Qenq’a (pronounced “cut-un kunk-ah”), meaning “Elder’s House” in the Dena’ina language, the four-story building has studio apartments for fifty-one residents age 55 and older. David Rittenberg of Catholic Social Services notes that 60 percent of guests at Brother Francis Shelter are older than age 60. Some individuals might have been trapped for years in a cycle of need.
Providence Alaska is covering the operating cost for six of the housing units, reserved for recuperating patients discharged from the hospital. The other forty-five will be paid by vouchers funded through state and federal sources. Residents will be referred to the facility through existing social service channels.
Services offered free of charge include individualized case management, bridging support to mental and behavioral healthcare, coordination of care for persons with co-occurring mental and physical disabilities or substance use disorders, assistance in accessing benefits, access to primary medical and dental care, peer support and socialization activities, basic housing retention skills such as unit maintenance and getting along with neighbors, connection to education or employment services, and access to legal, nutrition, or clothing resources.
Current Issue
December 2024
Southcentral Foundation provides onsite clinical services, operating the facility jointly with its sister nonprofit, Cook Inlet Tribal Council.
Baker explains that “permanent supportive housing” is as permanent as it needs to be; some residents might be on the path to buying their own homes. She adds, “We have learned with our intensive case management how programs such as this lead to increased housing stability, better health outcomes for individuals, and reduction in the use of publicly funded services. More importantly, stable housing gives people hope.”
Construction began two years ago at the site across the street from Providence St. Elias Specialty Hospital, a 59-bed long-term acute care facility located in a secluded neighborhood near Tudor Road and C Street. The land was previously the site of a transitional care center, which Providence relocated to Boniface Parkway and Debarr Road in east Anchorage. Providence donated the vacant lot.
Q’et’en Qenq’a “Elder’s House” faces a tract of quiet single-family homes across 48th Avenue, near Tudor Road and C Street.
Photo Credit: Providence Alaska
At the ribbon cutting, Providence Alaska CEO Ella Goss said, “We know, and our community partners know, that housing is often the first medicine. Having a safe, warm, and stable place to live is essential to maintaining good physical and mental health.”
Other project partners include Cook Inlet Housing Authority, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Weidner Apartment Homes, and the Rasmuson Foundation. Davis Constructors and Engineers was the general contractor on the project.
Baker believes the combined effort sets Q’et’en Qenq’a apart from other permanent supportive housing in Anchorage. “This project has been an excellent example of tribal and nontribal partners coming together to meet a community need. One of the biggest barriers we see as a clinical provider is finding safe and affordable housing for individuals. And without stable housing it’s almost impossible to engage in healthcare or other social support services,” she says.
In addition to individual housing units, the building includes gathering areas, a computer lab, laundry, medical exam rooms, a case management office, and space for on-site wrap-around service providers.
Tyler Robinson, vice president of community development, planning, and real estate for Cook Inlet Housing Authority, observes that the surrounding lot has enough room for another building or two, if resources are available.
Invisible Rays of Hope: UV Disinfection for Healthier Spaces
Ultraviolet disinfection can be part of a multi-barrier approach to public health. Here are some facilities using this technology in Alaska.
The Hidden Costs of Poor Health Among Truck Drivers—and How We Can Help
As the owner and clinic director of Ideal Health, I’ve seen firsthand how poor health impacts individuals, families, and businesses.
Chief Philanthropy Officer Joins Food Bank of Alaska
The Food Bank of Alaska hired Daniel A. Bentle as Chief Philanthropy Officer to lead fundraising, donor relations, marketing, and volunteer programs.
