Assemblywoman "Likes" Controversial Save Anchorage Comment — Appears to be Against Proposed Mass Shelter

A discussion about what to do with Anchorage's unhoused community quickly devolved into a disrespectful and dehumanizing discussion in the Save Anchorage group right around the same time that Assemblywoman Allard twice shared her opinion to the group that Anchorage's homeless "mess" was unlikely to be fixed with a mass shelter.

Allard made comments about the incoming Anchorage Mayor's proposed mass shelter to the pro-Bronson Save Anchorage group over the past week.

The discussion about the homeless began after Allard shared a post to Save Anchorage, writing that she was fielding many emails about the new administration's plan on housing Anchorage's homeless community.

Allard wrote that she was listening to the community and offered her Municipal email address for those who have "suggestions, solutions or concerns that are the same as mine" to contact her.

In response to Allard's post seeking input on the matter — the conversation took an unfortunate turn for the worse, with many Save Anchorage adherents offering radical, dehumanizing, and impractical suggestions in the thread.

"A bare-bones facility, Sheriff Arpaio style in that area seems appropriate if a facility is necessary to be able to arrest the vagrants," suggested one while another group member noted they suspected progressive members of the Anchorage Assembly didn't support Bronson's mass shelter because they have an "incentive to keep homelessness as a business income for their friends."

Others who commented on the thread proposed alternative locations for Anchorage's unhoused to congregate, with one suggesting a vacant lot on Third Avenue as an ideal location for them to "pitch their tents" and "feel at home in their old location."

But perhaps the vilest of comments came from an Anchorage resident and longtime member of the group who wrote that the city of Anchorage was "created" to support the people that make a life here and not "scum that crawls here from the Bush."

It's not clear what part of the comment prompted Allard to "like" it. The comment appears to suggest that the Municipality should only be helping working people and not the "scum that crawls here from the Bush," an apparent reference to Alaska Natives.

Given Allard's often contentious relationship with other members of the Assembly, it's possible she could have liked the comment because it referred to Assembly members as the "nut case 9" or because she believes it is not the responsibility of Anchorage citizens to fund a "vagrant resort destination in this city." It's also possible that the Assemblywoman is against taxpayers footing any part of the cost for Bronson's proposed mass shelter.

Regardless of Allard's rationale for "liking" the arguably disturbing comment, she doesn't seem to be on board with the Bronson administration's proposed mass shelter — at least according to comments made by the Assemblywoman in the Save Anchorage group. Allard wrote that "Government was the cause of this homeless mess and we aren't going to fix it through a mass shelter."