The City of Portland is giving YOU a voice in how they spend millions of dollars in Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Participate in their poll and tell them that shelter and food security need to be priorities! The lack of supportive shelters and a shortage of affordable housing have created a crisis … Read more
The affordable housing crisis, inflation in the cost of basic necessities, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a homelessness and eviction crisis in Maine and across the United States. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado has introduced a bill to address this growing issue. Join us in asking Senator Susan Collins and Senator … Read more
Behind the struggles faced by many of the people Preble Street serves are fundamentally broken mental health and shelter systems. Living in high-stress situations on the streets or in crowded shelters with limited access to treatment makes people experiencing homelessness particularly vulnerable to chronic mental health issues and co-occurring substance use disorders. Earlier this month, … Read more
On Tuesday, April 26, homelessness and housing advocates are preparing an unprecedented Congressional advocacy push around the federal budget. Please call your Representative and both Senators on that day to request increased funding for homelessness and housing! More specifically, you can ask them to join the “Dear Colleague” letter supporting $3.6 billion for homeless assistance … Read more
“In my time working here, I’ve been able to provide people with many things. I’ve given people vouchers, I’ve helped people move into apartments, I’ve helped somebody repair their vehicle. I’ve provided all of these material things. But time and time again, when people talk to me about what was most important to them, it’s been … Read more
Preble Street stands in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes in Ukraine. This global crisis stands in direct opposition to the work that Preble Street does to eradicate homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty, in Portland, Maine. War of any kind destroys housing and leads to food insecurity and hunger, … Read more
Advocacy is a key component of social work. Social workers advocate for clients every day as they help them access healthcare, housing, and social services. While this approach is necessary, valuable, and positively impacts individuals, it does not address the systemic issues that lead to hunger, homelessness, and poverty. To truly address these problems, we … Read more
People experiencing homelessness describe experiencing discrimination from landlords, employers, and in their daily routines. LD 1871 helps them document those discriminatory acts with the Maine Human Rights Commission to formally lodge discrimination complaints. This bill extends the original Dignity Pilot, a program to document discrimination against people who are unhoused, by two years. The hearing … Read more
In light of the anniversary of the assault on U.S. democracy on January 6, 2020 and the upcoming celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, please write or call Senator Susan Collins and urge her to support the Freedom to Vote Act! This critical legislation will address voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, … Read more
Thank you to everyone who joined us on the Winter Solstice to honor the lives of the 51 people in Portland’s homeless community who died this year. Learn more at preblestreet.org/vigil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wfq12bEWhg Solstice vigil honors lives lost in homeless communityBy Rachel Ohm, Portland Press HeraldOn Tuesday night, the crowd lit candles and marched together to … Read more
