Bringing permanent supportive housing to Bangor

Earlier this year, Preble Street celebrated 20 years of permanent housing programs with 24-hour social work support. Could there be a better way to honor the impact of Logan Place, Florence House, and Huston Commons than to see the momentum towards similar programs across the state? Preble Street has been selected as the social service provider for two of the five projects recently approved through Maine’s “Home for Good” program by MaineHousing. One project is the previously announced permanent supportive housing building in collaboration with Avesta Housing at the site of the former Oxford Street Shelter in Portland. The second program will expand services for chronically homeless people in Bangor; BangorHousing and Preble Street are collaborating to build and manage a new 30-unit housing facility in Bangor. BangorHousing will own and manage the building, while Preble Street will offer 24/7 social service support to residents. Focusing on individuals who have been homeless time and time again (or continuously for years) and who have untreated mental health or substance use disorders, permanent, supportive housing literally saves lives. Caseworkers are on site and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide social work services to residents. This support is key to ensuring that these individuals stay housed. Over the last 20 years, we have seen the incredible, positive impact these housing programs have on people experiencing chronic homelessness. But the advantages extend further, positively impacting the community. When people live on the streets for a long time, they are likely to have frequent interactions with emergency services, including police and emergency rooms, that are traumatic and costly for the community. Once they are housed in a supportive environment, these interactions decrease dramatically or stop altogether, saving the community money while allowing individuals to start rebuilding their lives. Construction on the new Portland and Bangor permanent supportive housing programs should begin in 2026, with residents moving in in 2027. The three other “Home for Good” programs will be run by other nonprofits and located in Auburn, Augusta, and Sanford.

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Seeing the possibilities

June 19, 2025

Mark Swann’s remarks from the Preble Street 50th Anniversary Celebration Thank you to every single person who is here tonight. I am so blown away by seeing how many of you came out tonight to help us celebrate 50 years. I am really proud of all of the work that we’ve done at Preble Street.

Celebrating 15 Years of Florence House

June 1, 2025

Since April 2010, Florence House has been a solution to homelessness. Florence House combines emergency shelter and permanent housing with 24/7 social work support for chronically homeless women. In the past 15 years, nearly 2,500 women experiencing homelessness have found a safe bed and a warm meal in the low-barrier shelter. And nearly 70 women

Basic Needs −> Shelter −> Long-term Solutions

June 1, 2025

50 years ago, Joe Kreisler founded Preble Street as a real-world training ground for his students at the University of Southern Maine and a place for Portland’s most vulnerable residents to receive basic services—meals, clothing, bathrooms, etc.—and to connect to resources for healthcare, mental health treatment, employment, and more. “I am a human being. Part

Bringing permanent supportive housing to Bangor

Keep reading

Seeing the possibilities

Celebrating 15 Years of Florence House

Basic Needs −> Shelter −> Long-term Solutions

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