Responding to Winter Weather

Update 2/2/2023: Warming shelters will be available in the Portland area from Friday February 3 to Sunday February 5. The City of Portland, along with community partners and volunteers, will staff a temporary overnight shelter at the Salvation Army’s gymnasium at 297 Cumberland Avenue. The overnight warming shelter will be available from 3pm on Friday, … Read more

Legislative priorities – let’s take action!

Read Preble Street’s Legislative Priorities for the regular session of the 132nd Maine Legislature here. Hunger and homelessness have been on the rise in Maine post-pandemic, leaving thousands of fellow Mainers without enough food and without shelter or housing. Lack of available housing and shelter options leaves many experiencing homelessness with no choice other than … Read more

Portland gathers for Annual Homeless Vigil in honor of the 51 people who have died in 2022

A vigil to remember friends from the Greater Portland homeless community who have died will take place December 21 at 4:30pm. A crowd will gather in front of the MMC-Preble Street Learning Collaborative at 20 Portland Street and proceed by candlelight to Monument Square. Every year on the Winter Solstice — the longest night of homelessness … Read more

Get ready to vote this Election Day!

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8 and we want you to get out and vote! Advocacy is key to our mission and one of the most important aspects of the Preble Street Advocacy Team’s work this time of year is ensuring that Mainers experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty know their voting rights and are registered to vote. Preble … Read more

Preble Street Statement on City of South Portland/New Gen Hotels License Conditions: Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Casco Bay Hotels

Preble Street appreciates the efforts of the City of South Portland to reach an agreement with the New Gen Hospitality Management group that will keep people sheltered. It is critical that the cities of Portland and South Portland, the state, and service providers come together to implement a strong and professional outreach effort to the … Read more

National Day of Action: April 26!

On Tuesday, April 26, homelessness and housing advocates are preparing an unprecedented Congressional advocacy push around the federal budget. Please call your Representative and both Senators on that day to request increased funding for homelessness and housing! More specifically, you can ask them to join the “Dear Colleague” letter supporting $3.6 billion for homeless assistance … Read more

CURRENT ACTION: Tell legislators to support LD 1626 and tribal sovereignty!

(Image from Wabanaki Alliance) Oppressive state and federal regulation of Native tribes, as well as a lack of sovereignty for those tribes, has resulted in worse health and economic outcomes for Indigenous communities in Maine. Exercising control over Indigenous people and land while simultaneously not investing in equitable resources for those communities is the sordid … Read more

Stop discrimination based on homelessness!

People experiencing homelessness describe experiencing discrimination from landlords, employers, and in their daily routines. LD 1871 helps them document those discriminatory acts with the Maine Human Rights Commission to formally lodge discrimination complaints. This bill extends the original Dignity Pilot, a program to document discrimination against people who are unhoused, by two years. The hearing … Read more