Josett Banks, et al v. Municipality of Anchorage

In the summer of 2023, the ACLU of Alaska appealed abatements of homeless encampments in Cuddy and Davis Parks. Originally, these appeals were filed as two separate cases: Atoruk v. Municipality of Anchorage (Cuddy Park) and Banks et al. v. Municipality of Anchorage (Davis Park). However, they were later consolidated into a single case (Banks) because they shared "common questions of fact." Both cases involve questions regarding the unavailability of shelter beds and the scope of the Municipality's interest in the challenged laws.

The Municipality closed its only low-barrier shelter without a contingency plan, leaving hundreds of people without anywhere to go.

“Municipal officials are failing at one of the most basic responsibilities that governments have - to protect our residents. Abating camps when people have nowhere else to go violates constitutional law, denies basic human dignity and comes dangerously close to criminalizing poverty,” said ACLU of Alaska Executive Director Mara Kimmel.