PORTLAND – A task force has unveiled a sweeping plan for reducing homelessness in the city. The plan, still in its draft form, calls for creating a centralized process for assessing homeless people; building three, 35-unit housing facilities, and expanding case management services to better match the needs of clients. Nearly 100 people filled City … Read more
PORTLAND – Steven Huston, a longtime advocate for Preble Street Homeless Voices for Justice, fought tirelessly for people struggling with homelessness, poverty and addiction. Huston, like those for whom he battled, struggled with alcoholism and chronic homelessness. He died unexpectedly Thursday in his recliner at his apartment on Wilmot Street in Portland. He was 53. … Read more
There are important steps communities and the state and federal government can take to help prevent Mainers from having to live in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, on sidewalks and in emergency shelters. They include developing enough supportive housing, providing clear access to available services, following up with people over time and expanding prevention efforts. Homelessness … Read more
DOVER —On a recent cloudy afternoon, a man dressed in jean shorts and a blue graphic tee carried a cardboard sign. He was walking back and forth across Route 108 near Chili’s at Weeks Crossing, then toward the intersection which heads to Route 16. He said he is homeless in Rochester, and identified himself only … Read more
PORTLAND – About a year ago, Rob Parritt began keeping a three-ring binder in his office at the Oxford Street Shelter to hold the growing stack of doctors’ notes asking the homeless shelter to provide special accommodations for clients with medical issues. The binder covers now strain to contain the 3 inches of papers that … Read more
PORTLAND – More than 400 people on average sought overnight shelter in the city last month – the highest number since the city began keeping records in 1987. Last year, the city started using the Preble Street Resource Center as an emergency overflow location for an additional 75 people. But now the numbers are overwhelming … Read more
For the second year in a row, Preble Street Resource Center in Portland will receive a $750,000 grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs to shield veterans from homelessness. Judging by the first year, the money is making a difference, officials reported. "We’re seeing a decrease in the number of homeless veteran families that are … Read more
WINDHAM – Laura Smith knows how hard it can be to stretch a fixed budget during the summer. Mason Stoddard, 11, and Nickolas Keene, 3, picnic outside Little Falls Landing senior housing in Windham on Friday. This is the first summer that free lunches have been provided every weekday at the Windham site for children … Read more
PORTLAND – In response to a surge in the number of young homeless people in the city, the Preble Street Resource Center has an outreach team roaming streets and parks, connecting homeless youths to social services. The four-member team visits popular hangouts, such as Tommy’s Park and the camp sites in the woods along West … Read more
PORTLAND – On the wall behind city Health and Human Services Director Doug Gardner’s desk is a classroom-sized whiteboard. On Monday, there were 10 high-priority projects, issues, and initiatives written on it. Five of them – emergency shelter overflow, a veteran’s affairs case worker at the Oxford Street shelter, the Homeless Task Force, a meeting … Read more
We’re now live on Bluesky! Follow and like our page here.
The mission of Preble Street is to provide accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty, and to advocate for solutions to these problems.
Copyright © 2020 • Preble Street • All Rights Reserved • View Privacy Policy