“I had just one thing in mind, one goal in mind,” shares Cindy Neff, from the apartment building she has been living in for the past six months. “I wanted to get off the streets. I wanted to live again. I wanted a roof over my head. I wanted that safety net back for myself. I missed it.”
Once a person becomes homeless, there are many structural barriers that keep them there. There are not enough shelter beds for everyone who needs one. There is not enough affordable housing, and the costs continue to rise (According to MaineHousing, the median Maine home price increased more than 50% from 2020 to 2024 and 53% of renters in 2023 earning $35,000-$49,999 spent more than 30% of their gross household income on housing). It is difficult, even with health insurance and a stable income, to connect to substance use and mental health resources.
Yet, the federal government is defunding critical resources for food assistance, housing, and health care. This impacts not only people who are currently homeless, but also people who are one unplanned expense (medical bill, car accident) away from becoming homeless. This targeting of the most vulnerable people in our community makes homelessness more difficult to escape and leads to more people on our streets or in encampments.
The solution to the growing number of people experiencing homelessness is to improve and expand shelter and permanent housing options in partnership with services and health care, especially substance use and mental and behavioral health care. We must also invest in proven anti-hunger programs like SNAP. It will take commitment from federal, state, municipal, and private organizations. It is complex, but we can make the choose to do it.
“Housing without services sets vulnerable people up for failure. Services without housing leaves people homeless on the streets and in shelters,” explained Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness under President George W. Bush, in a recent The New York Times Opinion article about potential broad federal policy changes that could lead to great increases in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the United States.
When people have a safe and stable place to live, they can then begin to address other things in their lives. “Homelessness can be very hard on you. Every day is fight or flight,” adds Neff. “I want to get my health back up, because living on the street for years has torn my health apart. For me, it was impossible to take care of my health and be healthy.”
Regardless of background, income, or any other factors, everyone deserves to have their basic needs met, and to be treated with dignity and compassion. Preble Street will continue to advocate relentlessly for policies that support safe, stable, and permanent housing for all in our communities. This is what will create the best Maine for all of us.