by Rebecca Barker

Listen to the story!

In Anchorage, 713 young people under 34 are defined as homeless, according to the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's Homeless Survey Winter 2005.  Of those, 350 are under 18. Each person's story is different, but they all fall under the title "Homeless." Here are three.

On a cold-snapped morning, 29 year-old Arnold Yagie stands outside Bean's Cafe, a warm place downtown to get a hot bowl of soup. Inside, the rows of tables are crowded, and Arnold stands outside amid the smokers. He survives by panhandling, working an area in Spenard. Arnold says it was hard at first, but he's been learning from a friend.

“I just started learning how to panhandle. I'm getting more brave at it…My friend   Walter he's been doing it for a long time…It depends on how much courage you've got. Like now I could just go up to anybody and ask for change. One of our friends passed away and I got into the street life, you know drinking, stuff like that,” he said.

There are red scratches on Arnold's face. He says they came from a fight in front of a local bar. Though his daily life is rough, Arnold takes refuge in friends and good times.  

To a passerby, a group of apparently homeless men gathered in Spenard, one of the older areas of Anchorage, which may seem ominous. But Arnold says gathering together is a way to stay warm, stay social and pass the time.

“ Sometimes there'll be like ten of us and we'll run into another group so there'll be like 20 or 30 of us. There's a place called the Chinese Kitchen. In the back there's like a secluded area. We go there sometimes and drink, have fun, happy times haha…I usually don't drink but it keeps me warm,” Arnold said.

Other young homeless people in Anchorage are in different situations. Ismael Jackman is 20 and says he's used temporary residence programs designed to help people with limited resources.  But he's lived on the streets too, often while holding down a job. Ismael says he's looking toward a future of independence, but meanwhile he's grateful for the help.

“It's better than being out there where it's cold you know? This time has been the best, the other three times it sucked because I lost my job and things just didn't work out you know? I just got arrested for something I didn't, I did do but I already served time for. I was arrested, put in jail for two days, and they find out, ‘Oh you shouldn't have been here.' And I thought I lost my job but I worked five hours today. They said, ‘Just come back tomorrow, don't worry about it,' he said.

Ismael says this summer he was living on the street when a staffer at Covenant House, a shelter in Anchorage for youth under 21, recommended he check in. As the time limit on his stay approaches, he says he's looking for an apartment. 

There are other options in town for people who need a place to stay, like the Brother Francis Shelter, but Ismael isn't interested.

“When the snow hits the ground it's over, you better stay inside or something…And then over at the mission you can only stay for 30 days and then like Brother Francis it's the same thing. It's this cycle: 30 days and then 60 days out...Because you can't stay at these places all the time!…And it sucks because you should be able to stay there all the time, especially in the winter, it's cold you know,” he said.

Other people are able to rely on their own social network to stay warm, safe and off the streets. Amber, a senior at Steller, moved from Red Wing, Minnesota to Anchorage in 2003. Now she's enduring another transition, this time from living at home, to being homeless. In short, Amber says her mom kicked her out.

“I've been staying at my boyfriend's parents' house (they're driving me crazy though). Let's see where was I staying before that, ohoh  House sitting. Randomness. Wherever I can basically. Let's see, how many days has it been now? More than a week…”

It's easy to identify with family strife. And Amber says the tension between her mother and her is not unique.

“Who doesn't have problems with their parents?” she said.

Teens on their own have to adopt strategies for survival. Amber says it's been difficult with no help from her mother.

“ I am getting absolutely no support from her. I'm going to have to be applying for even more scholarships now…and even if I were at home that would be the case because she's always saying how she'll help me but she never follows through. So yeah, I'm on my own,” she said.

Amber's mom lives in town, but her dad's in Minnesota. She says he's offered to send cash in an emergency. But Amber says she's not planning to ask for it. She's focused on finding her own way.

“I just got a job though, I start this Tuesday. But I'm only working box office so I won't be making tips. Bummerific.”

Amber says she might be couch hopping for the rest of the school year. Or she and her boyfriend might try to find an apartment, if they can afford it. Either way, Amber's optimism is unflagging.

“Yes!  My glass is half full!” she said.

Homelessness in Anchorage is obvious to anyone who walks down a major street. But though the word “homeless” may evoke powerful reactions, the word itself doesn't always mean the same thing. “Homeless” is simply a term used to bunch together a group of people who may not have much in common.  Except they lack a regular place to sleep.