Mat-Su Coalition on Housing & Homelessness

10/26/2024

Check out Nightmare at the Museum...some fun for adults and young adults...and a fundraiser for Family Promise Mat-Su.

06/19/2024

Just a quick post to thank all who have notified us that the MSCHH.ORG website is not functioning. We have decided to no longer work from that site. All notices and referrals will now use Facebook or Valley Charities, Inc. Thanks for your help in getting help to those in need.

02/07/2024

Lots of help at Project Homeless Connect 2024!

05/01/2023

COLLEAGUES, FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS,

Fentanyl brings death, despair and killing Americans in shocking numbers, especially for 18-49 year olds due to a destructive epidemic.

We are at a critical time with end of the year graduation parties and summer activities that could involve substance use and misuse.

I am asking every community member to sound the alert of the dangers of drug use and misuse due to the spike in fentanyl overdoses in Mat-Su and Anchorage.

In short, being ‘straight up’ with youth with honest, current and accurate drug information the could very well safe their lives.

The facts and data regarding fentanyl are screaming at us to provide parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, hence everyone with vital information to have this important conversation.

ONE PILL CAN KILL! ( D.E.A. )

I strongly believe we have to redouble our efforts to have our youth supported, connected and with a sense of belonging to keep them safe, healthy and thriving.

There are TWO task force meetings this Tuesday, May 2nd.

First, the newly complimentary ‘ Youth Drug Prevention and Education Task Force,’ meeting at 2:30 p.m. at MSHF in the conference room.

That will be followed with the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force, meeting at 4:00p.m. at MSHF, in the LINKS Resource Center.

Both will have speakers addressing specific issues related to:
early intervention, ( youth task force ) opioid response, detox, mobile crisis, and HB6. ( opioid task force ) with zoom links attached.

Thank you for forwarding this notification of meetings to those interested in joining the ‘good fight!’

# No More Customers

Michael

MyHouse / Opioid TF / Youth TF / State, Partners For Change

04/28/2023

We are helping with a Landlord Appreciation Luncheon on May 10th. Thanks to all our landlord partners in the Valley for helping house low-income families and individuals.

04/10/2023

Coordinated Entry is a system of prioritizing need among homeless individuals. Access to this system can be made by contacting one of the following partners: We Participate in

Coordinated Entry!

Coordinated Entry is a community partnership addressing the most vulnerable community members, those without housing. Along with our partners, our participating homeless population is prioritized on a list that is reviewed twice a month. Each partnering agency acts as an entry point and provides case management to assist with moving from homelessness into housing opportunities!
Family Promise Mat-Su is proud to be the Lead Agency in this process for our community.

Participating Agencies/Access Points:
Alaska Family Services 907.746.8026
Blood N Fire 907.864.0463
Choosing Our Roots 907.764.6233
Connect Mat-Su 907.373.2628
Family Promise Mat-Su 907.357.6160 ext 2
My House 907.373.4357
Salvation Army Mat-Su 907.745.7079
Valley Charities 907.354.4660
Valley Residential Services 907.357.0256

03/31/2023

The previous three posts were provided by Isaac Smolden of MY House in Wasilla. Thanks to him and his crew for putting together a comprehensive report on how to help end trafficking in Alaska!

03/31/2023

What YOU Can Do to Make an Impact
Email or Call Your State Legislators

You can find contact information by going to akleg.gov. This legislation is currently being heard by the
House and Senate judiciary committees, so members of these committees are especially important to
contact. When emailing or calling please include the following information:
 Alaska leads the Nation in S*xual Assault, (four times the National average)
 Alaska leads the Nation in Child S*xual Assault (six times the National average)
 92% of trafficking survivors report being abused as children
 Data shows that high rates S*xual Assault and Child Abuse go hand-in-hand with high rates of
Human Trafficking
 HB 68 and SB 66 help combat Human Trafficking in Alaska, and makes our state a safer and
healthier place to live.
 This legislation is designed to help the most vulnerable in our state. Please DO NOT choose to
play politics when it comes to this issue.
It may also help to ask the following questions:
 Do you support HB 68/SB 66, yes or no?
 If no, what alternatives would you suggest to protect Alaskans who are vulnerable to this heinous
act?
 Do you support the legalization of prostitution, yes or no?
 If yes, are you aware that studies show that the legalization of prostitution increases the rates of
human trafficking exponentially. (Per 2012 World Development Study on the subject)

Get Involved

The Alaska Stop Human Trafficking Alliance, meets on the third Tuesday of every month via zoom at 4
p.m. and collaborates with stake holder across Alaska to find better ways to combat trafficking and
better serve survivors. To join ASHTA email Chair Staci Yates at [email protected].

Educate Friends and Family

Please share this information with others that you know. While we as Alaskans don’t always agree on
everything, we should be able to unite behind this issue to help all of Alaska and protect the most
vulnerable members of our community.

03/31/2023

92% of trafficking victims were abused during their childhood,2

and Alaska leads every major child abuse

metric.3
According to the 2019 FBI Uniform Crime Report, Alaska’s rate of s*xual assault is nearly four times
the national average4

and our child s*xual assaults are nearly six times the national average.5

When it comes to

these issues our state is number one, but for all the wrong reasons.

Legalized Prostitution Increases Human Trafficking
SAY NO TO THE LEGALIZATION OF PROSTITUTION

It’s been proven that countries that legalize prostitution have higher rates of human trafficking. According to a
World Development study conducted in 2012 entitled Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?
“According to economic theory, there are two opposing effects of unknown magnitude. The scale effect of
legalized prostitution leads to an expansion of the prostitution market, increasing human trafficking, while the
substitution effect reduces demand for trafficked women as legal prostitutes are favored over trafficked ones.
Our empirical analysis for a cross-section of up to 150 countries shows that the scale effect dominates the
substitution effect. On average, countries where prostitution is legal experience larger reported human
trafficking inflows.”6
At no point has a kindergartener ever said “I want to be s*x worker” when asked what they want be when they
grow up. Many participants in prostitution were s*xually abused as children, normalizing the fact that their
bodies were nothing more than an item meant to be used for s*x. Prostitution is not a victimless crime.
That’s why HB 68 and SB 66 are so important; holding the buyers of s*x accountable when they recklessly buy
s*x from a child or a trafficked individual will help curb the demand side of the s*x trafficking equation.
Simultaneously, these bills empower survivors so that they can use their voice to testify against the individuals
who have done them harm.

2 Human trafficking statistics & resources: The foundation united. Foundation United. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2023, from
https://www.thefoundationunited.com/statsandresources
3
Administration for Children and Families, Child Maltreatment 2019 (n.d.). DHHS. Retrieved from
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2019.pdf.
4 Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer. Cde.ucr.cjis.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2023, from
https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/ #/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend
5
Palsha, R. (n.d.). Child s*x assault in Alaska almost 6 times national average, according to R**e Crisis Center.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/content/news/Child-s*x-
assault-in-Alaska-almost-six-times-national-average-494313971.html

6
Cho, Seo-Young and Dreher, Axel and Neumayer, Eric, Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking? (January 16, 2012).
World Development, 41 (1), 2013, pp. 67-82, Available at
SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1986065 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1986065

This paper investigates the impact of legalized prostitution on human trafficking inflows. According to economic theory, there are two opposing effects of unkno

03/31/2023

It’s Time to End S*x Trafficking in Alaska

House Bill 68 & Senate Bill 66 puts victims of s*x trafficking first, targeting the demand for s*x while
increasing penalties for traffickers who force people into s*x work here in Alaska.
HB 68 & SB 66 Provide:
• Legal protection for trafficking victims.
o This legislation protects vulnerable and victimized Alaskan residents.
• Increased penalties for traffickers: HB 68 & SB 66 increase the penalties for all forms of
trafficking, placing the most serious classifications on those crimes that use force to traffic an
underage person into s*x work.
o Pro-prostitution factions argue that this takes business from them in a “free market”. One of these
advocates is a convicted trafficker who is known by those working in the treatment field for having a 17-
year-old in her “stable”. Arguments against these measures are self-serving and allow the trend of
victimization to continue.
• HB 68 & SB 66 establish the new crime of “Patron of a Victim of S*x Trafficking.” If a person
solicits s*xual acts with reckless disregard to the possibility that the person they are soliciting is a
victim of s*x trafficking, they can be convicted of a class B s*x felony if the victim is under 18
years old, and a class C s*x felony is the victim is older.
o This is the essence of the legislation being used Internationally to reduce trafficking. We cannot
continue to allow the abuse of our most vulnerable residents and expect Alaska to get healthy when risk
factors for child s*xual abuse, s*xual assault, domestic violence and addiction are the highest in the
Nation.1
• HB 68 & SB 66 establishes a process for people to have their prostitution or low-level drug
possession convictions vacated if the person is able to show they were a victim of s*x trafficking at
the time they committed the offenses.
o This recognizes that traffickers force prostitution and drug dealing onto others. This is not a victimless
crime.
• HB 68 & SB 66 increases the penalties for a person who patronizes those engaging in s*x work. If
a person is convicted three times within five years, the offense will become a felony.
o We must reduce demand to reduce trafficking. This is especially important when it comes to demand
for s*x with children, underage youth and young adults. The high rates of child s*x abuse in Alaska
make this demographic vulnerable and “pre-groomed,” or more likely to be trafficked.
• HB 68 & SB 66 gives service provider’s tools to help victims of s*x trafficking go on with their
lives, expunging their criminal records that they obtained while under their trafficker. This
enables them to get good jobs, homes and be a part of their communities again.
o This allows individuals who are out of the life of prostitution to remove the barrier of a legal history of
prostitution to pursue legitimate, productive careers.

02/07/2023

Project Homeless Connect 2023 was a success. We had over 61 tables displayed with services and give-away items for customers and clients. Non-profit Caring Agencies from across our Valley and State shared a reported 872 services with those who attended. They also shared over 262 other services; including Narcan Kits, Hygiene Kits, Food Packs, and Socks. Many agencies reported being able to screen clients for future services and made appointments for the same. We were able to register 74 individuals, who will now be added to our database, and this data help us as we look to serve our homeless and low-income populations in the Valley. Thanks for your part in making PHC 2023 a success!