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florence house

Florence House will provide safe, supported permanent housing to chronically homeless women in Portland, Maine.

A partnership between Avesta Housing and Preble Street, the property will be built, owned and managed by Avesta; and Preble Street will provide 24-hour staffing and coordinate service provision to all tenants.

CAN YOU IMAGINE

Can you imagine
how it would feel
to a homeless woman
who has spent months
or years sleeping on the streets
or mats at the city shelters
to finally have
a home of her own?

Can you picture the look
of wonder on her face
when she opens the door of
a brand new apartment
and says "This is mine"?

Can you imagine her
sleeping for the first time
in her own bed,
feeling really truly safe at last?

Multiply that 60 times.

The building will include three types of housing designed to offer options to 60 women including:

  • Efficiency Apartments for individuals who are ready to manage independently. 
  • A Safe Haven to provide a permanent private living space for chronically homeless women who are not quite ready to maintain their own apartments and who may, with support, begin to develop trust, self-assurance, and skills to become more independent.
  • A small number of Emergency Beds for immediate, short-term housing for women who are temporarily homeless because of an economic or situational crisis.

The Florence House model is based on approaches to homelessness and chronic mental illness that have emerged nationally as key strategies for ending homelessness, as well as experience at the Preble Street Adult Day Shelter and at Logan Place. 

Florence House will be located at 190 Valley Street and is named for Florence Young, a social worker who has played many roles at Preble Street over 20 years:  intern, staff, and board member.  She helped create and continues to embody the agency philosophy and values, bringing incredible compassion and commitment to her work.