Homeless people in Alaska? (Anchorage, Wasilla: houses, unemployed, to buy)

[gobrien]

I think when we think "homeless" our minds just gravitate to those on the street corners with signs. There are so many more homeless and near homeless people out there, who may have done the right things in life: ie get an education, work hard, pay their taxes, live a clean lifestyle, and they still find themselves teetering on the brink of having no stability. Until you have faced that, it really is not helping to generalize. Just a simple little thing like trying to start fresh in a new state/town combined with a low-paying job and an intolerant landlord and depleted social service programs can equal homelessness. It takes sometimes years to have to move due to a forclosure but to evict someone it can be a matter of days.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by gobrien

I think when we think "homeless" our minds just gravitate to those on the street corners with signs. There are so many more homeless and near homeless people out there, who may have done the right things in life: ie get an education, work hard, pay their taxes, live a clean lifestyle, and they still find themselves teetering on the brink of having no stability. Until you have faced that, it really is not helping to generalize. Just a simple little thing like trying to start fresh in a new state/town combined with a low-paying job and an intolerant landlord and depleted social service programs can equal homelessness. It takes sometimes years to have to move due to a forclosure but to evict someone it can be a matter of days.

This is pretty much the truth, especially now when there are simply not enough jobs for those that want them. And I think it's harder if not almost impossible for single men to get "help" through the system.

[Alaskapat528]

I just wish people moving to Alaska would be absolutely sure they have enough funds to tide them over and for a trip out if things go bad. Unless someone has alot of money and/or a job secured, now is "not" the time to move to Alaska. Sometimes having a job secured isn't even enough since sometimes they go bad, thus needing quite a bit of money for backing.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Alaskapat528

I just wish people moving to Alaska would be absolutely sure they have enough funds to tide them over and for a trip out if things go bad. Unless someone has alot of money and/or a job secured, now is "not" the time to move to Alaska. Sometimes having a job secured isn't even enough since sometimes they go bad, thus needing quite a bit of money for backing.

Use to be you couldn't drive into Canada unless you could prove you had enough money to get to where you were going such as Alaska, if you couldn't show the money, you didn't get to make the trip.

The reason Alaska hasn't been hit as hard as other States is partly the costs of getting here. Once here, they are overwhelmed with what it takes to live here. Summer is great for camping out, but when the temps drop to subzero, the fun goes away very quickly.

In the small town where I live, you can't get people to work, too many are on public assistance and "If" you get them to work, they don't show up on time or very often after the first check. Not a lot of jobs here, but those that are, get a high turnover because of the lack of incentive to stay employed. Easier to stay in subsidized housing, getting food Stamps, welfare checks and now free cell phones than to go shovel snow for twenty bucks a driveway or haul firewood.

Yet they all have cell phones and seem to have plenty of people to chat with since they are on the phones all the time... And the ones you think are nuts talking to themselves, have bluetooth's....

[NomadicBear]

Originally Posted by starlite9

In the small town where I live, you can't get people to work, too many are on public assistance and "If" you get them to work, they don't show up on time or very often after the first check. Not a lot of jobs here, but those that are, get a high turnover because of the lack of incentive to stay employed. Easier to stay in subsidized housing, getting food Stamps, welfare checks and now free cell phones than to go shovel snow for twenty bucks a driveway or haul firewood.

I think this sort of scenario would work greatly to my advantage. I am a very dedicated employee. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs, so I never miss work due to the associated hangovers, etc. I haven't had the flu in 30 years (knock on wood- stay away swine flu), so I can't imagine, barring a catastrophic illness, ever missing time. I like to show up on time, and ready to work. Perhaps I need to consider areas where the workers have poor habits.

I don't agree with those leaches who milk the system. I've never in my life been on any public assistance- I've never even been on unemployment- but this is the first time where those worries have crossed my mind. I've always wanted to live in Alaska, for all the RIGHT reasons, and figured this might be as good a time as any. The economy there is better by leaps and bounds than it is where I live. That said, I wouldn't ever show up and become a burden if I couldn't find work. I'd always make sure I had enough money to leave.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

This is pretty much the truth, especially now when there are simply not enough jobs for those that want them. And I think it's harder if not almost impossible for single men to get "help" through the system.

Yeah, that has always been an issue... And it should be to a point if they are able bodies. You go to the State of Alaska Unemployment site and there is a host of jobs always being posted there, and no takers....

Then there is this site


Division of Personnel Contact Information:
Mailing Address:
Department of Administration
Division of Personnel
PO Box 110201
Juneau, AK 99811-0201
Street Address:
State Office Building, 10th Floor
333 Willoughby Avenue
Juneau, Alaska

Submit Feedback

Jobs Hot-line and Customer Service:

• 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday excluding State holidays
• A recording of vacancies is available 24-hours per day
• (800) 587-0430 (Statewide toll-free number)
• (907) 465-4095 (Juneau and out-of-state callers)
• (907) 465-2576 (fax)

Relay Alaska:

• (800) 770-8973 ( TT/TTD )
• (800) 770-8255 ( Voice phone )

[gobrien]

All Alaska public assistance programs require the recipients to find work, or participate in work activities at State offices. I don't see how that requirment could be skirted without them being removed from the program for non-compliance.

Originally Posted by starlite9

Use to be you couldn't drive into Canada unless you could prove you had enough money to get to where you were going such as Alaska, if you couldn't show the money, you didn't get to make the trip.

The reason Alaska hasn't been hit as hard as other States is partly the costs of getting here. Once here, they are overwhelmed with what it takes to live here. Summer is great for camping out, but when the temps drop to subzero, the fun goes away very quickly.

In the small town where I live, you can't get people to work, too many are on public assistance and "If" you get them to work, they don't show up on time or very often after the first check. Not a lot of jobs here, but those that are, get a high turnover because of the lack of incentive to stay employed. Easier to stay in subsidized housing, getting food Stamps, welfare checks and now free cell phones than to go shovel snow for twenty bucks a driveway or haul firewood.

Yet they all have cell phones and seem to have plenty of people to chat with since they are on the phones all the time... And the ones you think are nuts talking to themselves, have bluetooth's....

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by NomadicBear

I think this sort of scenario would work greatly to my advantage. I am a very dedicated employee. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs, so I never miss work due to the associated hangovers, etc. I haven't had the flu in 30 years (knock on wood- stay away swine flu), so I can't imagine, barring a catastrophic illness, ever missing time. I like to show up on time, and ready to work. Perhaps I need to consider areas where the workers have poor habits.

I don't agree with those leaches who milk the system. I've never in my life been on any public assistance- I've never even been on unemployment- but this is the first time where those worries have crossed my mind. I've always wanted to live in Alaska, for all the RIGHT reasons, and figured this might be as good a time as any. The economy there is better by leaps and bounds than it is where I live. That said, I wouldn't ever show up and become a burden if I couldn't find work. I'd always make sure I had enough money to leave.

The Economy in Alaska may be better than most of the lower 48, but it isn't great either. If a person is willing to get dirty, there are jobs that will tide one over, but if you have been making $20.00+ an hour and lost your job, some think it is demeaning to work for $9.00. It may not pay all the bills, but sitting on ones hands isn't the answer either.

Unemployment isn't something to look down on, it is something that you paid for when you work and comes out of your paycheck, it isn't welfare. It won't pay all the bills either, but it isn't suppose to either, it is a temporary fix/patch to what should be a short term issue.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by gobrien

All Alaska public assistance programs require the recipients to find work, or participate in work activities at State offices. I don't see how that requirment could be skirted without them being removed from the program for non-compliance.

Well if they offer work, that isn't a big issue unless the person isn't really looking....

[NomadicBear]

The problem I see with working a $9 per hour job in Alaska, is there is no way to actually live on that. I can understand how those jobs go unfilled at times. Unless someone is in a situation where they have another source of income, that figure is a recipe for homelessness in and of itself. That's exactly what's happened in this country- we have high housing prices, and falling wages. Doesn't pencil out.