To address homelessness and housing insecurity in Maine, the help and support of landlords is critical.
Preble Street works closely with landlords to identify and maintain stable housing for clients. Their partnership is crucial to successfully housing people, who are transitioning from shelter or the street.
Veteran’s Housing Services (VHS), in particular, frequently works alongside landlords to place Veterans into safe, stable, affordable, and quality housing. “Landlords are a crucial resource with providing housing to the Veterans we serve,” shares Kaitlyn Plourde, VHS Supervisor. “Our programs help individuals find and sustain safe and affordable housing, and landlords hold the literal keys to such housing, making their partnership essential. Without them we cannot end Veteran Homelessness,” explains Kaitlin.
Like any partner or organization we work with, Preble Street looks to create respectful and mutually beneficial partnerships with landlords. The VHS program has built many “meaningful, long-lasting relationships with landlords to provide safe and affordable housing to Veterans,” says Kaitlin.
One such partnership is with Rachel J Čebra of Central Maine Property Management…
I come from a family with a long line of military service in multiple branches. Veterans’ services are a cause that is near to my heart, and through Preble Street, we have been able to assist many veterans in their housing journey. We will continue to work with Preble Street in the future as I am secure in knowing the range of their services is broad and always evolving to assist Veterans, first.
Preble Street’s Rapid Re-Housing program also partners with landlords to transition people from homelessness into permanent and stable housing. Rapid Re-Housing is an evidence-based and housing first intervention that helps individuals quickly exit homelessness, return to housing in the community, and prevents homelessness in the future. It has been very successful nationally and for Preble Street. Rapid Re-Housing served 99 people and stably housed 47 people in 2023.
For more on the importance of affordable housing, follow the link below for a recent Op-Ed in the Portland Press Herald from MaineHousing’s Dan Brennan
Homelessness is solvable, but it will take the work of the entire community coming together to address the problem. Landlords are one crucial element of a community-based solution, and Preble Street needs their partnership to help provide affordable and stable housing to the people we serve.
Ending Veteran homelessness in Maine
In the past year, Preble Street’s Veteran Housing Services (VHS) program has housed over 270 Veterans. This past September, VHS housed more Veterans than ever before in one month, connecting 28 Veterans to housing. These numbers represent hours, days, and weeks of hard work from the incredibly dedicated VHS team, who show up with compassion and
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