In Joe Meyers’ new apartment, he has a potted succulent on the windowsill. He has a bed with a blue bedspread. He has shelves stocked with oatmeal and canned vegetables. But his favorite part is the door. “I can close the door and be left alone,” Meyers said. “This is a life-changing type of thing. … Read more
Portland had the dubious distinction in the days before Christmas of topping a list of U.S. cities “going above and beyond to push the most vulnerable Americans out of the public eye during the most compassionate time of the year.” The website U.S. Uncut singled out Maine’s largest city for destroying homeless encampments along Interstate … Read more
For most people who use Maine’s shelters, homelessness is temporary. But there are others who need more support– the chronically homeless. A decade ago, the State of Utah made a commitment to eliminate chronic homelessness. And what’s being done there is inspiring people here in Maine and across the country. Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) … Read more
This is Part Two of a series on Housing First. In Part One, WCSH traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to learn more about that city’s acclaimed Housing First programs out there. Preble Street has been running Housing First programs in Portland for more than a decade. What kind of commitment from Maine’s leaders will it take to expand … Read more
This week on TideSmart Talk, we focused on housing and homelessness in Maine. In this two-part show, Mark Swann from Preble Street joined us to describe what he, the staff, and over 6,000 volunteers do to help serve 600,000 meals annually and to people and to combat homelessness and poverty. Dana Totman of Avesta Housing … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine – The Portland City Council on Monday night unanimously voted to set aside $50,000 to distribute to a developer willing build a so-called "housing first" apartment project for homeless people. The measure will designate the money from the city’s Housing Trust Fund, which currently has just more than $724,000, to the cause. Jim … Read more
PORTLAND – Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s seminal "War on Poverty" remarks in his State of the Union address. Inspired by the civil rights movement, galvanized by the assassination of President Kennedy, LBJ’s words were passionate, lofty and aspirational. The War on Poverty, he said, "will not be a short or … Read more
Autumn is a beautiful time to enjoy the natural beauty of the Maine coast, so it was exciting to receive an invitation from the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition and the Maine State Housing Authority to participate in their annual conference. We were thrilled to see that the conference planners included a workshop track on the … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine – The homeless population in Portland is swelling, with nearly 25 percent more people seeking shelter this fall than even the historically high numbers seen a year ago. That increase and the expectation by Portland Department of Health and Human Services leaders that the numbers will continue to climb well into 2013 are … Read more
I think it is critical to challenge several comments made by my colleague David Wagner about the Task Force to Prevent and End Homelessness. Although homelessness in Portland reflects the record numbers seen in urban centers across the country, it is not indicative of a lack of response in Cumberland County. In fact, in addition … Read more
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