At first glance, it looks like a modest apartment building tucked into downtown Anchorage.
But inside The Adelaide at Baldwin Hills, operated by NeighborWorks Alaska, the work happening every day is much bigger than housing alone.
During a recent site visit to Alaska, leaders from NeighborWorks® America toured the single-room occupancy property, known as an SRO, to better understand how supportive housing models are helping residents experiencing homelessness and housing instability find safety, stability and community.
The property includes 73 units, shared amenities and supportive housing services designed to meet residents where they are while helping create pathways toward longer-term stability.
Many residents arrive with very little.
“Most people come in with absolutely nothing,” staff shared during the tour, walking through one of the furnished units, ready for a new resident.
That reality shapes how the building operates.
Residents receive move-in kits, access to shared kitchen and laundry facilities, supportive services and connections to community resources. The property also includes seven-day-a-week cleaning services, accessibility features and on-site staff support.
“I think this feels like a place to house someone with dignity,” said Lori Nealley, director of Affordable Housing. “And then we’re offering connections to the community to try to help move them on if that’s what they want to do.”
The property originally operated as an office building before being converted into supportive housing in the early 1990s. Since then, NeighborWorks Alaska has worked to ensure the property remains integrated into the broader neighborhood and community.
That work includes resident programming, holiday meals, volunteer opportunities and supportive housing services designed to create connection and stability, not just shelter.
One resident initiative involved tenants creating cards and messages for seniors and families needing encouragement during the winter months.
“It’s important for residents to feel empowered,” Jim MacKenzie, executive director, said during the discussion.
The building also reflects the financial realities of supportive housing operations in Alaska.
The property costs between approximately $890,000 and $930,000 annually to operate, supported through tax credits, HUD funding and rental assistance programs.
And yet leaders emphasized that housing remains significantly less expensive than the long-term social and public costs associated with chronic homelessness. 
“We always say the solution to homelessness is housing,” Bryan Brown, NeighborWorks America's SVP of National Initiatives, said during the visit.
The conversations also highlighted another reality: supportive housing in Anchorage is not theoretical. In a place where winter temperatures can drop far below zero, housing can be life-saving.
“Imagine being homeless when it’s negative 20,” staff shared during conversations about housing conditions in Anchorage.
Today, The Adelaide at Baldwin Hills continues evolving beyond housing alone. NeighborWorks Alaska recently launched a housing intervention program designed to strengthen supportive services and extend Housing First strategies for residents needing additional assistance.
For NeighborWorks America leaders, the visit reinforced something often missing from national housing conversations: the importance of designing housing systems around people, not just units.
Because for residents at The Adelaide, stable housing is not simply about having a roof overhead. It is about safety. Stability. Community. And the opportunity to move forward.
