ANCHORAGE, Alaska-The first death at the "Karluk," the new home on the edge of downtown for chronic inebriates. John Kort, a 54 year-old man with a decades long alcohol addiction problem, passed away on New Years Day. He was found by facility attendants at about 11:30 am during their hourly rounds. He was unresponsive when he was found.

The 46 room center is run by Rural CAP, a non-profit organization. Much of the funding comes from the federal government. The facility is operated to house homeless inebriates. The plan was instituted as a possible solution to the recent deaths of homeless people left to their own devices out in the cold. There has been an increasing number of deaths in the city’s parks, on city trails and in the camps scattered around the city in the last two years.

Besides housing for the homeless alcoholics, the center was pointed to as a solution for the large number of emergency room visits and arrests generated by that particular population.

Melinda Freemon, the director of the facility, said, “We’re glad that Mr. Kort was safely housed and was able to die with dignity, if he had to pass away.” She added that it was a known factor that people would pass away while housed at the facility. She pointed out that the people housed at the center are many times in the last stages of their alcoholism.

Freemon also explained that some will be able to get well from their condition through this program that is new to the state. But, it was unfortunate that he was unable to.

The Karluk Manor facility has only had its doors open since December 8th of 2011.