Maine’s emergency shelter providers applaud the passage of LD 698, An Act to Sustain Emergency Homeless Shelters in Maine. Relying on a mix of private philanthropy and government funding, emergency shelters have faced rising costs, weathered the pandemic and inflation, and continued to meet the changing and complex needs of individuals and families who need help. Maine’s 40 emergency shelters are at capacity almost every night and have been struggling to meet the growing need with current funding levels.
Shelters across Maine, including Tedford Housing, Preble Street, Homeworthy, Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence and the regional Domestic Violence Resource Centers, H.O.M.E Inc., Homeless Services of Aroostook County, Bangor Area Homeless Shelters, and other partners and community members collaborated in support of this legislation. Emergency shelters receive $7 a night per bed from the state’s Shelter Operating Subsidy, leaving shelters to make up the gap through a wide range of other funding sources. LD 698 will critically increase funding to $18 a night per bed.
“Thank you to the Maine Legislature, especially Senator Rachel Talbot Ross and Representatives Drew Gattine and Amy Roeder, for passing LD 698. Emergency shelters play a vital role in communities across Maine to support people on their path back to housing and this legislation will help Maine’s shelters be more financially sustainable,” says Andrew Lardie, Executive Director of Tedford Housing. “This funding does not solve the funding crisis that so many of our shelters are in, but it will help keep Maine’s shelters afloat as we all navigate the state’s housing crisis.”
“A huge thank you to each member of legislation that worked tirelessly and to get this bill funded,” says Kari Bradstreet, Executive Director, Homeless Services of Aroostook. “This is the breath of life that HSA needed to sustain our shelter program and other shelter programs throughout the state.”
Molly Feeney, executive director of Homeworthy, adds that “despite years of successful and nimble approaches by Maine’s steadfast shelter leaders- shelters across the state were in crisis brought on by steadily rising costs and a housing crisis. Today, we thank the Legislature for this support that will help sustain this valuable community resource through the next set of challenges.”
“Maine’s DV shelters are essential to the safety of one of Maine’s most vulnerable populations. In many cases, access to these shelters is homicide prevention. Without additional funding, the ability to sustain our existing emergency shelter capacity is precarious,” shares Francine Garland Stark, Executive Director of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence. “In total, DVRCs provided 25,078 emergency shelter bed nights for 324 adult survivors and 218 children. However, the number of shelter requests far surpassed the number of survivors our network was able to bring into shelter. Thank you to the Maine legislature for prioritizing this life saving service.”
Terence Miller, Advocacy Director, Preble Street, shares, “At a time when the federal government is threatening to eliminate critical resources for people experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty, Maine is ensuring vital supports for its most vulnerable people. It took so many legislators working together to secure this funding among many other important needs across the state. Special thanks to Speaker Ryan Fecteau and Senate President Mattie Daughtry; Housing and Economic Development Chairs Representative Traci Gere and Senator Chip Curry; Health and Human Services Chairs Representative Michele Meyer and Senator Henry Ingwersen; Appropriations and Financial Affairs Chairs Senator Peggy Rotundo and Representative Drew Gattine; and bill sponsor Senator Rachel Talbot Ross.”
About Tedford Housing
Based in Brunswick since 1987, Tedford Housing is the sole provider of emergency shelter on the southern midcoast. Tedford operates homelessness prevention services, two emergency shelters, an overnight winter warming center, and permanent supportive housing in five towns. In 2025 it is building a new facility to expand its shelters by 60%. For more information, visit https://tedfordhousing.org/.
About Homeless Services of Aroostook
Homeless Services of Aroostook remains the only emergency homeless shelter for the general public in Aroostook County, Maine, geographically the largest County east of the Mississippi and approximately the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, serving a population count of around 72,000 from the 2010 census. HSA is a family-oriented shelter with around a hundred individuals, including around 30 children, staying with us every year. HSA provides case management services for every resident and family, developing a plan of action to accomplish goals and then monitoring progress. For more information, visit https://www.aroostookhomeless.org.
About Homeworthy
Homeworthy is a committed homeless service organization with various service locations in Knox County. Homeworthy commits to long-range prevention strategies by providing comprehensive youth service programs. Additionally, the team at Homeworthy serves hundreds of neighbors from southern Waldo County, all of Knox County, and northern Lincoln County through case management and housing Navigation. Homeworthy ‘s family shelter has been operational for 11 years and can shelter 22 guests at a time. The shelter program alone comes at $107/night/bed; the current ESHAP subsidy supplements that cost by $7.16/night/bed, leaving the organization to fundraise for the expense balance. For more information, visit https://homeworthy.org/.
About the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence and the Regional Domestic Violence Resource Centers
Since 1973, survivors have partnered with supportive communities throughout Maine to ensure access to crisis intervention, safety planning, legal advocacy, shelter and other services for people experiencing domestic violence. The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) is comprised of the eight regional Domestic Violence Resource Centers providing shelter for adults and their children escaping abuse and advocates for the right of all people to live free from domestic abuse and all forms of violence. MCEDV envisions a world where respect is our norm, and where all people thrive in their homes and communities – nurtured, healthy, joyful, and free. For more information, www.mcedv.org.
About Preble Street
From its start as a small social work agency in 1975, Preble Street has been guided by its mission to provide accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, hunger, and poverty, and advocate for solutions to these problems.
50 years later, Preble Street is a statewide organization providing critical services and care that impact thousands of Maine’s most vulnerable community members each year. In addition to the largest direct service emergency food program in northern New England, Preble Street operates low-barrier programs throughout Maine providing 24/365 services for individuals and families, including homeless youth, women, Veterans, and survivors of human trafficking. www.PrebleStreet.org
