PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Homelessness is an issue that continues to plague the streets of Portland, but a national campaign is helping put an end to it.

In November, Portland joined 56 other communities from across the country, housing an average of 2.5% of the chronically homeless each month. But in Portland, just over 4% of the chronically homeless have gotten their own apartment.

Since November, 77 chronically homeless people in Portland have been placed in permanent housing as part of the nationwide 100,000 Homes campaign. Thomas Annis is one of those people and he got keys to his own place last week. He says it all feels like a dream, but he’s still a little nervous.

“I’m not going to be around anybody, it’s just me,” Annis said. “But it’s going to be nice. I’m getting my life back.”

Annis says he spent the first night in his new place just sitting there and playing on his phone, taking it all in.

Nationally, the campaign has surpassed its goal of 100,000 by 1,600 hundred placements. That number includes about 31,000 veterans.