A judge ruled Tuesday that the Municipality of Anchorage has the authority to clear out a homeless encampment. The ruling comes after the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska sued the city on Thursday, asking for a temporary restraining order against the city’s plans to abate an encampment near North Star Elementary School.
The ACLU argued that removing people from the camp while city shelters are at full capacity constituted cruel and unusual punishment, and the city had not given proper notice to campers. However, Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman ruled in favor of the city, which argued the camp is a public safety risk, citing thousands of pounds of trash and a high volume of police calls in the area, as well as its proximity to a school.
“We will continue to use abatement as a public safety tool when necessary, just as we will continue to connect people to housing and shelter,” Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said in a statement.
ACLU spokeswoman Meghan Barker said the organization is disappointed with the ruling.
“This abatement will just push people to another outdoor space somewhere else in the city, and will not help address the housing crisis we face,” Barker said in an email statement.
The city began clearing out the camp on Monday. Municipal officials say the city has cleared 17 camps since July 1.
