Under Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan's proposed spending plan for next year, he'd cut a position he originally came up with three years ago -- the city's homeless coordinator.
That's the person in charge of spearheading Anchorage's efforts to find solutions to the homeless problem in Anchorage.
Darrel Hess used to hold that position, but he's since become the city's ombudsman and currently there's no permanent replacement.
Sullivan says his administration will continue to look at ways to treat and house the homeless, with help from the Department of Health and Human Services.
"I think we've got some very good strategies going forward that can be maintained by current Health and Human Services staff and the nonprofits," Sullivan said at a press conference last week.
But other city leaders say Anchorage shouldn't go without such a critical position.
"We still have a homeless situation, period, and we always will have a homeless situation -- it's improving but we're not quite there yet, there's more work to be done," said Assembly member Elvi Gray-Jackson, representing Midtown Anchorage.
The Anchorage Assembly must ultimately approve Sullivan's budget. It will hold its first worksession on his spending plan Friday morning.
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