Mayor David Pruhs recently made a deeply harmful and problematic post about his plans to address the houselessness crisis — one that ignorantly framed Alaska Native people as a “problem.” While he did issue an apology, it was not well received, as it was not followed by any meaningful change in behavior.

Like many, I’ve watched this crisis worsen alongside our community’s knowledge and our leadership’s response. Back in the 2010s, I worked downtown as a youth attorney and shelter volunteer. I saw what my peers endured on the streets and witnessed firsthand the gaps in our social services. Since then, I’ve continued to reflect on what we’ve learned — and what, if anything, we’re doing to fix this crisis. Has the City Council implemented plans to expand or improve services? Do we have a sec

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