NEWS & UPDATES
Hunger crisis in Maine prompts national attention
WESTBROOK, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Many kids in Maine, off for the summer, can’t wait to get back to school. It’s because, for some, it’s the only place they’ll get a reliable meal. Many Maine adults also rely on a food assistance program called “SNAP,” which the state and Governor LePage are threatening to eliminate.
Organizations come together to make sure Maine kids have enough to eat year round
PORTLAND (WGME) — Kids who get free or reduced school lunch often have to go hungry in the summer because school is out. But several local groups are coming together to make sure children in Maine have enough to eat year round. Portland Public Schools, the Maine Hunger Initiative and the United Way’s “Starting Strong”
18-unit affordable housing complex opens in Portland
PORTLAND, Maine —A number of formerly homeless veterans now have a place to call home, thanks to a new property in Portland. Thomas Heights held its grand opening celebration Wednesday. The 18-unit affordable housing property is on Washington Avenue. The building was named for Thomas Ptacek, an advocate for homeless veterans. With a shortage in
Taking affordable housing to new "Heights"
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Formerly homeless veterans are getting a new lease on life thanks to an affordable housing project in Portland. “Thomas Heights” is an 18-unit efficiency apartment building, with five of those units housing previously homeless vets. Avesta Housing was able to complete the $3.6 million dollar project with help from city
New 18-unit building in Portland designed to house low-income veterans
Thomas Heights, an 18-unit building of efficiency apartments intended for low-income and homeless veterans, will have a grand opening Wednesday in Portland. The $3.6 million project at 134 Washington Ave. was led by the nonprofit Avesta Housing, the state’s largest developer of affordable housing. Thomas Heights is named after Thomas Ptacek, a local advocate for
9th Annual Homelessness Summer Solstice Vigil takes place on Tuesday
Every so often I receive press releases from various groups in my email inbox. I’m not always sure how or why I’m included in most of the email lists, and I almost always ignore them. However, this evening I received a release from a an advocacy group that’s near and dear to my heart, The
Homeless advocates hold 'sit out' to raise awareness in Portland
PORTLAND (WGME) — Homeless advocates held a “sit out” to raise awareness in Portland. Many people supporting the effort at Tommy’s Park Tuesday morning are experiencing homelessness themselves. For the last nine years, advocates with the group Homeless Voices for Justice have come together around the longest day of the year to let people know
Shedding light on homelessness on one of the longest days of the year
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — There’s a stigma that comes with the term “homeless;” a misunderstanding for most about what it actually means. Advocates for the homeless spent time in the Old Port on one of the longest days of the year to help shed more light on the daily struggles of living on the
Advocates for the Homeless Raise Awareness for the Growing Problem in Portland
Homeless people and advocates will are sitting out all day today to raise awareness of homelessness — and make the point that even in the warmer months, it’s tough. Judy Newell is an advocate with Homeless Voices for Justice; she says homelessness is a growing problem in Portland — mostly thanks to the property boom
Portland Housing Committee ready to plot priorities
PORTLAND — After four months of listening, the City Council Housing Committee is headed toward some starting points for policies. The committee will first cull and review data gathered at its May 25 meeting at the University of Southern Maine. The committee chairwoman, Councilor Jill Duson, said the results from queries about 135 possible areas of
Maine Voices: Urgent action needed to address the affordable housing crisis in Portland
It is clear that Portland is in the midst of a housing crisis … Over 100 no-cause evictions have occurred in just the past six months. People who thought they had left homelessness behind have been thrown out once again to desperately seek housing and return to the shelters … In response to this emergency
Portland residents work to prioritize city’s housing needs
… No-cause evictions, which have been happening with increasing frequency in Portland as buildings sell and landlords renovate, was a common concern … “Whether you’re a good or bad tenant, it makes no difference,” said Jim Devine, who lives on Congress Street and is an advocate for Homeless Voices for Justice. He said rent control
