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Administrative Order No. 214

I, Frank H. Murkowski, Governor of the State of Alaska, under the authority of art. III, secs. 1 and 24, of the Alaska Constitution, and in accordance with AS 44.19.145(c), establish the Alaska Council on the Homeless in the Office of the Governor.

Background and Purpose

Homelessness is one of the most challenging domestic issues facing the United States as a nation. Alaska is no exception. Alaska’s Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Task Force found housing to be the most commonly identified challenge facing those in need. The purpose of this Administrative Order is to establish the Alaska Council on the Homeless (council) and recognize the need to develop a statewide plan that would include short-term and long-term strategies to effectively address the problem of Alaska’s homeless population. The development of the statewide plan by the council should serve to educate all Alaskans about the tragedy of homelessness and engage both governmental agencies and the private sector in finding solutions to this problem.

Membership

The council consists of members appointed by the governor to serve at the pleasure of the governor. Council members will be representatives of appropriate state agencies, with ex-officio representation by the lieutenant governor or the lieutenant governor’s designee and by the director for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for Alaska or the director’s designee. The council may invite to its meetings other non-voting representatives from federal and local government agencies, the business community, providers of services to the homeless, philanthropic agencies, faith-based organizations, homeless persons advocacy organizations, homeless persons, and community leaders. The executive director of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, or the executive director’s designee, shall chair the council. The council may elect other officers as determined necessary.

Duties of the Council

The council shall prepare and submit to the governor a statewide homeless Alaskans action plan by June 30, 2005. The action plan must include at least the following:

  1. accurate fiscal and demographic information on the homeless in this state, to support policy development;
  2. an inventory and analysis of all existing activities and programs in this state that assist homeless persons;
  3. an inventory and assessment of existing statutory and regulatory provisions relating to the homeless and suggested changes to those provisions needed to implement the plan;
  4. short-term and long-term statewide strategies designed to substantially lessen homelessness in this state within the next 10 years; these strategies should:
    1. identify funding opportunities to assist homeless persons in this state;
    2. involve non-traditional stakeholders, including business, philanthropic, faith-based, and other community organizations; and
    3. promote systems integration, including interagency agreements, to reduce duplication among homeless assistance programs;
  5. performance measures and accountability mechanisms to provide policymakers with tools to assess the success of the plan over time.

In addition, the council shall conduct a public hearing on the issue of homelessness.

The council shall monitor and review implementation of the action plan, and shall annually provide to the governor a report containing the council’s findings and recommendations regarding implementation of the plan.

Administrative Support

The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation shall provide administrative support for the council. In accordance with law, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation may enter into intergovernmental agreements necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Order.

General Provisions

The following general provisions apply to the activities of the council:

  1. Council members do not receive compensation as a member of the council. Per diem and travel expenses for members of the council are the responsibility of the state or federal agency the member represents.
  2. To reduce costs, the council may use teleconferencing or other electronic means to the extent practicable in order to gain the widest public participation at minimum cost.
  3. The council shall establish procedures for voting and meetings of the council.
  4. Meetings of the council shall be conducted, and notice of the meetings provided, in accordance with AS 44.62.310 and 44.62.320 (Open Meetings of Governmental Bodies).

This Order takes effect immediately.

DATED at Juneau, Alaska, this 30th day of April, 2004.

/s/Frank H. Murkowski
Governor

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