Exciting news: Renovations have begun at the Preble Street Hope House shelter in Bangor!
Preble Street assumed operations of Hope House in February, keeping one of Maine’s largest shelters open and ensuring that 56 people continued to have a warm, safe place to sleep and access to meals, clothing, laundry, and support to help them connect with housing, health care, family, and other critical resources.
The City of Bangor and Penobscot County understand the importance of emergency shelter and supported funding for renovations at Hope House. Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC) owns the building, and kicked off the construction this month on the building. The building houses the emergency shelter, operated by Preble Street, and a transitional housing program, operated by PCHC. When these renovations are complete, Hope House will be an even more welcoming, safe, and trauma-informed space for people experiencing homelessness. This renovation will also allow us to increase capacity from 56 to 68 permanent shelter beds. These 12 additional beds will bring more people inside where they can get the care and services they need to move into permanent housing and a more stable future.
Staff at the Hope House groundbreaking
Shelters across the state are at capacity every night. Every tent and encampment you see is a visual representation that Maine needs more shelter beds, and that shelters need continued support to be able to keep their doors open. With the federal government continuing to cut funding for food assistance, health care, and housing, we can only expect the need for shelters to grow.
Low-barrier access to emergency shelters like Hope House is often the first step for unhoused people on their journey to safety, health, and stable long-term housing. To shore up Maine’s emergency shelter network in anticipation of increased homelessness, call or write to Governor Janet Mills, asking for increased permanent funding for emergency shelters. This funding will keep Maine’s emergency shelter beds open and ready for the anticipated influx of people seeking shelter, especially during these cold winter months.
Preble Street testimony in support of permanent, sustainable funding for Maine emergency shelters
Maine needs and deserves safe, accessible, professionally run, and sustainable emergency shelters that can meet the needs of the growing number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our state. On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, shelter executive directors and staff from across the state went to Augusta to advocate for a sustainable funding source that
Take Action: Tell Maine to provide permanent funding for emergency shelters!
Depending on where a person lives in our state, they may need to travel hours to the nearest shelter if they become homeless. There is no guarantee that when they arrive there will be a bed available. Right now, there are not enough shelter beds in Maine for the thousands of individuals and families experiencing
TAKE ACTION to Protect Maine’s Public Schools, Hospitals, Daycares, and Libraries from ICE
Tell your Maine legislators to support LD 2106! Increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, as part of the dehumanizingly named ‘Operation Catch of the Day,’ is creating constant fear and anxiety for so many of our neighbors, leaving them scared to leave their homes, go to work, take their children to school, seek