The Connecting Across Cultures New Mainers series with the Camden Public Library is set to continue at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. This online presentation will explore the hurdles faced by immigrants for housing in Maine.
The public is invited to hear from a panel of speakers directly involved in immigrant housing efforts, who will offer a picture of the situation and explain the specific needs.
The Housing, Hope, and Humanity panel will include Fatima Saidi, the Grants and Contracts manager for the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition; Chelsea Hoskins, Portland’s resettlement coordinator; and Papy Bongibo, the president of the Congolese Community Association of Maine.
Many asylum seekers are arriving in Portland, and there is a huge effort by a large coalition of social service and volunteer organizations to find housing for these new neighbors. It is a difficult and challenging task — there is little available housing, and the threat of COVID persists, according to a news release from the library.
The situation has created a critical need for municipalities outside of southern Maine to get involved in advocacy and support.
Connecting Across Cultures is a midcoast-based network of volunteers that celebrates diversity and helps New Mainers as they navigate life in the midcoast and beyond.
For more information, visit librarycamden.org.
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