In Westbrook, officials are weighing a zoning change that would allow the creation of smaller shelters. There is no current proposal to build one, but the city wants to be ready.
homelessness
Posted inMaine
State homeless council opposes upcoming sweep of Portland encampment
The chair of the Maine Statewide Homeless Council says removing people from their encampments further victimizes them and doesn’t solve the problem.
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Posted inMaine
Gov. Mills’ post of encampment photos puzzles allies and critics alike
The governor removed a Facebook post that included photos of a Portland homeless encampment juxtaposed with more idyllic scenes of mountains, lakes, the coast and a county fair and words that asked “where in Maine are these spots?”
Posted inMaine, News, Politics
Two state lawmakers proposing bills to end sweeps of homeless encampments
Representatives from Portland and Bangor are floating the prospect of creating sanctioned camping areas on public property and prohibiting sweeps.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland promised to store personal items from encampment sweeps. But nothing is in storage.
The city said the few valuable items found during the sweeps were given to police because they were suspected of being stolen.
Posted inMaine
Dozens of people displaced as city clears homeless encampment at Fore River Parkway Trail
Workers began clearing 67 tents from the site around 8 a.m. Wednesday, marking the second clearing of a large homeless encampment in the city within a week.
Posted inMaine
State clears one homeless encampment in Portland as city prepares to clear another
Dozens of people were displaced from a site on state property near Deering Oaks park on Thursday, and the city is preparing to clear another area by the Fore River Parkway Trail next week.
Posted inBusiness, Maine, News
Housing, cost of living top of mind for Mainers in UNH poll
Hot-button issues like abortion and gun control have taken a back seat to the economic concerns that affect respondents’ lives on a daily basis.
Posted inMaine, News
How I became homeless
Across Portland and numerous other Maine communities, homelessness has grown far more visible since the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked people living on the streets this summer to share their stories.