Entire villages were wiped out. Families fled in the middle of the night through freezing floodwaters. Now, hundreds of Alaskans — many from Indigenous communities — are sleeping in mass shelters, hotel rooms, and unfamiliar cities with no clear path home.

After Typhoon Halong devastated parts of Western Alaska, at least 2,000 people were displaced, mostly from remote, Alaska Native communities like Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. Their homes, boats, ATVs, and food supplies are gone. Their way of life was torn apart in hours.

Some may never be able to return.

Governor Mike Dunleavy has called this the largest humanitarian evacuation in Alaska’s history. But now, those evacuees are facing another crisis: there is no long-term housing plan. Many remain in crowded emergency shelters in Anchorage or with family, unsure where they’ll go next.

They deserve more than short-term survival. They deserve the chance to rebuild their lives.

We call on:

Governor Mike Dunleavy,
Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, and
the Alaska State Legislature

to immediately commit to a permanent housing plan for all displaced Alaskans, including:

• Rapid access to safe, long-term housing (hotels, rentals, apartments);
• State-funded assistance for those who lost homes, possessions, and cultural tools;
• A publicly transparent timeline and funding mechanism for recovery.
   

This is not just a housing emergency — it’s a cultural one. These are communities built around land, language, tradition, and family. Losing homes means losing connection, identity, and safety.

Don’t let these families be forgotten once the storm fades from the headlines. Add your name to demand permanent, dignified housing for every Alaskan evacuee — because survival is just the beginning of recovery.