{"id":50617,"date":"2019-07-15T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/university-of-alaska-anchorage-shelter-prepare-for-cuts\/"},"modified":"2019-07-15T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-07-15T13:00:00","slug":"university-of-alaska-anchorage-shelter-prepare-for-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/university-of-alaska-anchorage-shelter-prepare-for-cuts\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Alaska, Anchorage, shelter prepare for cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"

ANCHORAGE —<\/strong> State budget cuts have University of Alaska officials anticipating the possibility of program and staff reductions, while Anchorage’s largest homeless shelter will cut its hours and services, reports said.<\/p>\n

The university Board of Regents will decide Monday whether to take the uncommon step of declaring “financial exigency,” The Anchorage Daily News reported.<\/p>\n

The declaration will allow university officials to more quickly discontinue programs and academic units and remove tenured faculty across the system.<\/p>\n

A lack of funding is forcing the Brother Francis Shelter in downtown Anchorage to turn people away, the newspaper reported Friday.<\/p>\n

Beginning Tuesday, the shelter will be closed during the day to anyone who is not staying there or involved in its medical respite program, shelter officials said.<\/p>\n

Concerned UA students and employees await news of what and who will be cut, and whether a deal can be reached to restore $130 million in funding cuts announced last month by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy.<\/p>\n

University President Jim Johnsen has described the cut as “devastating” and “draconian” and said it could result in campus closures and elimination of at least 1,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

Dunleavy’s cut is on top of a $5 million reduction approved by the Legislature, combining for a decrease of about 41% in state funding and around 17% of the overall budget.<\/p>\n

“This declaration reflects a sharp turning point,” Johnsen said. “Financial exigency is an action I never anticipated that this great university or its regents would need to take.”<\/p>\n

The Brother Francis Shelter has offered daytime services to the public including laundry facilities, a computer lab and showers for about three years. Those services were initially funded by a one-time grant from Anchorage of about $200,000, said director David Rittenberg.<\/p>\n

Catholic Social Services continued funding day services after the grant expired but staffing and utility costs have become too much, officials said, especially with a decrease in public support.<\/p>\n

“We attribute it, in part at least, to the economy in general,” said Lisa Aquino, executive director of Catholic Social Services.<\/p>\n

\n

This is an Associated Press report.<\/ins><\/b><\/p>\n

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