Preble Street is asking Portland residents to reach out to the City Council and urge them to support the City Manager’s recommended FY26 budget which calls for no cuts to municipal services through ‘the use of $8.8M in Fund Balance.’ And, we also ask the Council to reject any policy options that would reduce shelter beds in our community. 

The City of Portland’s Finance Committee is holding a Public Hearing on the FY26 City Manager’s Recommended Budget on Thursday, May 1, 2025.  If the City Council rejects the recommendation to use the Fund Balance, the City Manager’s FY26 Budget proposal includes three policy options to “adjust” the use of funds.  One of the listed policy options is to “move[ing] the Family Shelter operations to the 166 Riverside property” and “decommission[ing] the 166 Riverside property as a shelter for single asylum seekers (similar to what we have done in the past with our guests staying in motels)…” 

The City Council meeting on the city budget planned for Monday, May 5, has been postponed until Monday, May 19, 2025. We are hopeful that the final FY26 budget proposal that will be presented that evening will not support the policy option of decommissioning 166 Riverside as an asylum shelter and support the continuity of operations of a Family Shelter on the peninsula.  

Closing shelters and losing critical shelter beds from Maine should never be considered an option. 

Portland residents: please attend and make your voice heard! If you can’t attend, email the City Council before Friday, May 16, at noon to ensure your comments are included in their packets!