In 2002, a number of local non-profit (501(c)(3)) organizations formed the Juneau Homeless Coalition in a unified effort to provide the vision and leadership required to develop and implement a plan to end homelessness in Juneau. Committee members and stakeholders in the planning process included homeless youth and adults, faith communities, philanthropy groups, businesses, local government, non-profit social service providers, non-profit housing developers, and advocates.
The Coalition formed out of the recognition that homelessness affects everybody, not just the poor. The strongest community for all is one where everybody has access to safe, decent housing, and can adequately address their basic needs. We believe anyone can
Since its inception, the Coalition has sponsored and received joint grant applications, worked with the City and Borough of Juneau to lend its expertise on affordable housing, hosted statewide conferences, developed community education and outreach tools, conducted research on homeless populations in Juneau, and engaged in municipal and legislative advocacy. The Coalition endeavors to keep its membership and scope broad, recognizing that homelessness is most often an end result of many interrelated causes, and that these causes act as social pressures that directly influence the prevalence of the homeless in our community.