Top U.S. housing official visits Maine

U.S. housing official Barbara Poppe pays a visit today to the Joe Kriesler Teen Shelter at Preble Street in Portland. One of the federal government’s top housing officials has been visiting a couple of homeless shelters in Maine’s biggest city. Barbara Poppe, the executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, toured the Florence … Read more

Affordable Housing Advocates Rally In Augusta

AUGUSTA — It is coming down to that time of year when the legislature must make some hard choices in order to balance the budget. That’s why advocates for low income housing and the homeless took their message to the statehouse Tuesday. They held a rally to protest proposed cuts to the state’s “home fund.” … Read more

Rally cry: 'We need housing'

PORTLAND – The city has lost more than 100 affordable rental units over the past five years and needs to clarify an ordinance meant to protect its housing stock, advocates for the homeless said at a rally today in Congress Square. Crafted during a housing crunch nearly 10 years ago, Portland’s housing replacement ordinance requires … Read more

Prepared Remarks for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan at the Florence House Grand Opening

Thank you, Governor Baldacci — for that introduction and for the leadership that you provide, particularly to Maine’s most vulnerable families. This is a special day for this community — and I want to thank everyone in this room who made it possible. We all recognize the remarkable strides our country has made in tackling … Read more

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New Housing Project Aims to Open Doors for Portland's Homeless Women

National, state and local elected leaders gathered in Portland today to celebrate the opening of Florence House, a permanent housing facility for homeless women. Its construction was prompted by a sharp rise in homelessness in the city, and officials say it’s a more effective model than emergency overnight shelters. The women at Florence House range … Read more

Housing team to the rescue

PORTLAND – For eight months, Ivelisse Castro spent her nights on a cot in a shelter while she saved her paychecks and waited to qualify for rental assistance. Castro might have waited a lot longer without the help of an aggressive new team of caseworkers who are fighting homelessness in Maine’s largest city. "They’re great," … Read more

Helping The Homeless With Housing For The Holidays

Preble Street Homeless Voices For Justice is working to give hundreds of Mainers a Christmas gift they say could help change lives. The group is making a big push to get more housing vouchers for the homeless in time for Christmas. They say shelters across the state are crowded and many people have no place … Read more

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Seeing the possibilities

Mark Swann’s remarks from the Preble Street 50th Anniversary Celebration  Thank you to every single person who is here tonight. I am so blown away by seeing how many of you came out tonight to help us celebrate 50 years.    I am really proud of all of the work that we’ve done at Preble Street. … Read more

History

The mission of Preble Street is to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty, and to advocate for solutions to those problems. In 1975, Preble Street was founded as a neighborhood center to involve and empower homeless and low-income residents in Portland. Today, Preble Street is a statewide hub of services and … Read more