PORTLAND – Shane Boilard spends a few hours a day, a few days each week, panhandling on the streets of Maine’s largest city, usually on traffic medians at major intersections leading into the downtown area [click to continue reading on the Portland Press Herald website].
When Dana Totman was first courted by the board of York-Cumberland Housing in 2000, the then-deputy director of the Maine State Housing Authority saw a struggling, stagnant organization in desperate need of new leadership. "They were not real productive, they were just kind of plodding along," he says. Poor financial health, low workplace morale and … Read more
PORTLAND – The mayor and city manager must work with surrounding communities to solve the city’s homelessness problem, a leader of the city’s Task Force on Homelessness said Monday. The City Council received a brief presentation about the task force’s report during a workshop session Monday at City Hall. A public hearing and council action … Read more
PORTLAND – Will I ever find a home? Is there any way to end homelessness? This month marked the first anniversary of an event that answered those questions with a resounding "Yes!" It was the anniversary of the day Preble Street welcomed homeless women home for good to Florence House, the comprehensive woman’s center on … Read more
PORTLAND – Hundreds of people gathered June 4 on Valley Street to celebrate the opening of Florence House, the city’s second "Housing First" project. Florence House is home to 25 formerly homeless women and provides a short-term place for up to 40 more women to transition into permanent housing or stay in an emergency shelter. … Read more
Help is on the way for homeless women in Portland. Today marked the official grand opening of Florence House, a new facility for homeless women that is located in Portland’s West End neighborhood. The building has 25 apartment units as well as several emergency shelter beds. Florence House is named for Florence Young, a social worker … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Dozens turned out for the grand opening celebration of long-awaited housing for homeless women in Portland. Florence House, named for a long time social worker at the Preble Street Resource Center, actually opened its doors in April. On Friday, people got a chance to tour the three story building, which … Read more
National, state and local elected leaders gathered in Portland today to celebrate the opening of Florence House, a permanent housing facility for homeless women. Its construction was prompted by a sharp rise in homelessness in the city, and officials say it’s a more effective model than emergency overnight shelters. The women at Florence House range … Read more
There are a lot of factors that work together to make someone chronically homeless. Someone may have a mental illness, a physical disability or addiction to alcohol or drugs. But the undeniable common factor is that they don’t have a home. For a group of women who have been long-term homeless residents of the city, … Read more
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Advocates for the homeless are excited about the opening of a new permanent home set to open to serve the needs of homeless women in Portland. Florence House, a collaboration between Avesta Housing and the Preble Street Resource Center, took five year to plan and build and cost nearly $8 … Read more
