PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Even with the milder winter we’ve had so far, the weather this time of year is dangerous for homeless people. In Portland, volunteers hit the streets for the annual Point-in-Time homeless survey. They found two people. Only people who can be identified count toward the official total. For example, volunteers … Read more
… William Burney, director of the HUD field office in Maine, and Jon Bradley, associate director of Preble Street, an agency that serves homeless people, participated in Wednesday night’s survey. Despite an overall decline in homelessness, Portland officials have noted an increase in homeless people sleeping outside, even as encampments and overgrown areas around the … Read more
PORTLAND (WGME) — After noticing an alarming amount of people sleeping on the streets, officials with Preble Street say they jumped into action. Preble Street Executive Director Mark Swann says in October they noticed more people spending the night outside, so they decided to sit down and do a count. He says a handful of … Read more
As the temperature falls, the concern is growing for the homeless population in Portland, Maine. Mark Swann, Director of the Preble Street shelter, worries the number of people sleeping outside in the cold is growing. In October, Preble Street staff counted 88 people sleeping in camps or on the streets in Portland. Swann said that … Read more
Volunteers read each of the 43 names aloud in front of the Christmas tree in Monument Square on Monday to remember the record number of homeless people who died in Portland this year. A candle was lit as each name was read … Read more.
PORTLAND (WGME) — Homeless advocates are saying more homeless people have died this year in Portland than any other year in recent history. Hundreds of people gathered in Monument Square Dec. 21 to mark those lives lost. This vigil is held every year on this night because it’s the longest night of the year. This … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — People in Portland gathered Monday night to remember members of the city’s homeless community who died in 2015. Forty three people passed away. That number includes people who were homeless when they died, and others who were recently homeless in the Greater Portland area. A large group of homeless people, … Read more
This week on TideSmart Talk, we focused on housing and homelessness in Maine. In this two-part show, Mark Swann from Preble Street joined us to describe what he, the staff, and over 6,000 volunteers do to help serve 600,000 meals annually and to people and to combat homelessness and poverty. Dana Totman of Avesta Housing … Read more
… Thousands of Mainers have lost access to medical care, including mental health and substance abuse services, because of Medicaid cuts. The DHHS has even eliminated unlimited monthly bus passes for Medicaid recipients, leaving many poor and homeless people without reliable transportation. Without government cooperation, this is a gap that’s tough to fill, despite the … Read more
… The increase in homeless encampments is just one example of how desperate some people have become, Yellen said. She points to the loss of federal food stamp benefits to childless adults between the ages of 19 and 49 who don’t have a disability, and Medicaid cuts in Maine that have caused thousands of people … Read more
