Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska and home to the majority of the state’s homeless population.
The recent highlighted visibility of this issue has led to increased commitment to find solutions to homelessness and provide those affected with housing options and opportunities to move toward self-sufficiency.
Path to Independence (P2I) is a public-private partnership and housing pilot program working to help people experiencing homelessness move into housing and toward self-sufficiency. P2I came together in early 2018 when a group of stakeholders saw the potential to engage community partners, especially private landlords, in a new way.
The goals of P2I are to engage private landlords as partners, investors and proponents in addressing homelessness; quickly transition individuals and families experiencing homelessness into housing and relieve pressure on crowded shelter facilities; combine housing interventions with supportive services and employment opportunities; and promote long-term self-sufficiency.
Weidner Apartment Homes is the largest private landlord in Anchorage and helped catalyze the project; and over 20 additional funding partners soon joined in to help fund this innovative pilot program.
The first P2I participant moved in on October 5, 2018. As of May 31, 2019, P2I has housed 28 households with the goal to house 40 total by August 31, 2019.
Participants in P2I receive up to six months of financial assistance to help with rent and other expenses; one year of case management; and connection to employment opportunities, including with participating landlords.
To date, almost 90% of P2I participants are employed and over 90% of rent payments have been made on time. The goal is for over 75% of participants to remain housed at the end of a year, and for 100% of participants who remain housed to show an increase in income.
P2I is especially unique in its engagement of private landlords. A dedicated landlord liaison provides a single point of contact for landlords and act as a connection between landlords, case managers and participants, and the landlord risk pool guarantees landlords 100% of the security deposit and a percentage of damages that may exceed that deposit.
In addition to successfully housing 28 households, P2I has prompted its partners to think critically about how the community can collaborate more effectively and with more impact.
P2I’s partnership between Catholic Social Services – a fiscal agent and case management provider, Cook Inlet Housing Authority – landlord liaison supervisor and administrative supporter, Weidner Apartment Homes – major funder and participating landlord, and 22 other funding partners, including FHLB Des Moines member First National Bank Alaska, allows for a collaborative effort with greater collective impact.