To ensure that vulnerable community members are safely housed, the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida came to NorthWind to design transitional housing for people coming out of incarceration. NWA and CCTHITA have worked together on three facilities so far, with a focus on cultural activities and communal living to strengthen their integration back into society. The Recovery and Reentry Department- established in 2019 to create and maintain community and tribal resources for recovery and justice-involved individuals- wanted to provide sober and supportive housing for tribal citizens to facilitate on-site case management, employment and training opportunities, and cultural and peer-supported recovery and reentry programs.

The transitional homes have yet to be named and officially dedicated, so we use the placeholder Alaway Avenue Transitional Housing for the former commercial property on Glacier Highway. An intensive interior and exterior renovation transformed a former office building into a 16-bedroom communal living facility. Additional amenities include a playroom for fathers to invite their families, a carving shop, computer/study area, and admin suite. The resounding success of this project instigated the design of a female facility in the Mendenhall Valley suburbs, currently under construction.