Tiny Homes Tackle Homelessness in Anchorage

0:00It's April 3rd. You're listening to Anchorage News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Corey with the story. In Anchorage, Alaska, folks started moving into 32 tiny homes last week, set up in a parking lot behind city buildings near Tutor and Elmore. Roads. This spot, called Willow Commons, ain't just regular housing or a shelter. It's a straight-up treatment program for people battling homelessness, alongside substance use, or mental health struggles. The startup cash, mainly $500,000 from opioid settlement funds, went to the city, and the Anchorage assembly just handed the, rains to Anchorage Recovery Center, who run similar setups around town. Word is, by Friday, all the homes will be packed, with around 20 women in their 20s to 40s making up a big chunk something rare for these. Kinds of centers, and a real win for getting more women into care. It's lockdown tight, no public access, just residents and staff, and for the first 60 days, nobody

1:00leaves without a chaperone. Most folks stick around 3 to 6 months on average. City leaders see this as hitting homelessness at the root, by tackling addiction and mental health head-on. And if it pans out, they want other spots. To copy the blueprint and scale it up.