'It can happen to anyone.' 'It can happen to you.'.

• Author: Cutler, Debbie
• Position: Editorial

I remember a friend, who went from working on a master's degree to living on the streets, once telling me, "Debbie, be careful. It can happen to anyone. It can happen to you." He ended up dying on the streets--not here, but in a community far away where he lived part-time homeless and part-time with his mother.

Those words have always haunted me, and they do even more today.

Recently, I met a bright, vibrant woman full of ideas and vigor. She had a past life of purpose and professional success. But at 59, even with age discrimination laws in place, she found herself in a situation where few would hire her. She did manage to find part-time work, but still, the walls crumbled down around her.

She did not make enough to afford the rent, no matter how hard she tried, and neighbors complained about her pets and other tenant-related issues. She soon found herself without a home and four animals to take care of. Trying to find temporary homes for her dogs, at least until she could get herself back on her feet and into an apartment, seemed futile. One dog had issues only she was willing to deal with. An animal lover, she did not want to see her precious dog put down.

So as I write this, here we sit. Four dogs, a harried lady, and no place to put them. It's a sad story. And even sadder when I learn more than 20 have died on the streets in Anchorage in about a year's time. I wonder what will happen to her.

In Alaska, in 2008, 3,311 were homeless, according to statistics put out by the Alaska Justice Forum, which is part of the University of Alaska Anchorage system. We rank as one of the highest states in the nation...