John Garner stood at the corner of Franklin and Front Streets in downtown Juneau on Wednesday. He had a shopping cart filled with clothing and camping gear.
Garner had a rough night. A security guard asked him and his friend to leave an outdoor location where they were sleeping. So he didn’t know where he would sleep that night.
Garner has lived in Juneau for 12 years and has been unhoused for about a year. He said he’s been trying hard to find a place to live before winter.
“It’s been pretty difficult,” he said. “I’m on the list for Housing First, trying to get there, and it’s like a big waitlist.”
Soon he won’t have to worry about where he’s going to sleep during the cold nights ahead. On Tuesday, the City and Borough of Juneau will open its cold weather emergency shelter for the winter season. It’s the second year it will be located in a warehouse in Thane, about a mile from downtown. It will operate through mid-April.
Garner said he relied on the shelter most nights it was open last year. And, he said he’s grateful to have somewhere dry to sleep soon.
“It’s somewhere warm, and it works pretty well,” he said. “I mean, they’re all respectful, everyone gets along.”
Hanging out nearby was Jeremy Williams. He’s also been unhoused for a few years now, but he said he’s trying to get back on his feet after struggling with addiction after the death of his daughter.
Most nights this summer and fall, Williams said he’s slept outside. But, he plans to head to the shelter as soon as it opens. Last year he said he heavily relied on it to survive the cold.
“Every night possible, they help out a lot,” he said. “But I don’t like being around people who use drugs and whatnot.”
The shelter accepts nearly anyone who comes to its doors as long as they’re not disruptive. It is meant to be a last resort for unhoused people to go to when the weather gets cold.
Last winter, nearby businesses complained about an increase in thefts and break-ins in the area since the opening of the shelter.
Dave Ringle, the executive director of Juneau’s St. Vincent de Paul chapter, said people are relying on the shelter more and more as Juneau continues to grapple with a housing shortage.
“I am concerned. Housing has not gotten cheaper in Juneau,” he said. “Every day at our office, we get people who are in danger of being evicted, and we get people who are struggling.”
Last year on an average night, about 50 people stayed at the shelter. Ringle said the warehouse probably has enough space to likely accommodate more and he’s worried that might be needed.
“This is a Band-Aid — we have to keep people alive. And I think in the winter months, a shelter is providing the bare minimum to keep people alive,” he said. “The real solution is to get more housing and more affordable housing.”
Deputy City Manager Robert Barr said the shelter costs the city roughly $250,000 per season to operate. Last budget cycle, the Assembly approved ongoing funding for it.
The warehouse has heating, insulation and electricity and this year the city installed interior plumbing and indoor restrooms for staff and patrons to use. Barr said he feels confident that patrons are in good hands with St. Vincent de Paul’s staff, but getting the shelter up and running is no easy task.
“I would say that the cold weather emergency shelter is always a little bit tenuous in terms of operations. It’s a hard operation to run and manage,” he said.
The shelter will be open every day starting October 15 from 9 p.m. until the early morning. St. Vincent de Paul will provide meals. There will also be free shuttle transportation from the Mendenhall Valley and downtown to the shelter.
