TideSmart Talk #154: Mark Swann and Dana Totman

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

$50,000 set aside to build apartments for homeless

PORTLAND, Maine – The Portland City Council on Monday night unanimously voted to set aside $50,000 to distribute to a developer willing build a so-called "housing first" apartment project for homeless people. The measure will designate the money from the city’s Housing Trust Fund, which currently has just more than $724,000, to the cause. Jim … Read more

Maine Voices: Preble Street far from ready to declare victory in the war on poverty

PORTLAND – Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s seminal "War on Poverty" remarks in his State of the Union address. Inspired by the civil rights movement, galvanized by the assassination of President Kennedy, LBJ’s words were passionate, lofty and aspirational. The War on Poverty, he said, "will not be a short or … Read more

Maine partners dedicated to ending chronic homelessness by 2015

Autumn is a beautiful time to enjoy the natural beauty of the Maine coast, so it was exciting to receive an invitation from the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition and the Maine State Housing Authority to participate in their annual conference. We were thrilled to see that the conference planners included a workshop track on the … Read more

Is Portland ‘too attractive’ to homeless people?

PORTLAND, Maine – The homeless population in Portland is swelling, with nearly 25 percent more people seeking shelter this fall than even the historically high numbers seen a year ago. That increase and the expectation by Portland Department of Health and Human Services leaders that the numbers will continue to climb well into 2013 are … Read more

Letter: Portland has not ignored homelessness

I think it is critical to challenge several comments made by my colleague David Wagner about the Task Force to Prevent and End Homelessness. Although homelessness in Portland reflects the record numbers seen in urban centers across the country, it is not indicative of a lack of response in Cumberland County. In fact, in addition … Read more

Maine House candidates address concerns of homeless

PORTLAND – Affordable housing, emergency shelters, supported living and police profiling were among the issues tackled by six City Council candidates during a forum Thursday at the Preble Street social service agency. They weren’t abstract concepts to those who attended. All were homeless, had struggled with homelessness or worked in the shelter. The "You Don’t … Read more

Portland panel urges regional solution to homelessness

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

Homelessness task force addresses growing issue

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) – More than 300 people will seek emergency shelter in Portland tonight. And those numbers are growing. A task force has spent the last year looking for ways to address the issue and Wednesday night they shared their findings with the public. The task force believes that its recommendations can save … Read more

Task force: Big investments in homeless programs, facilities could save Greater Portland $3 million per year down the road

PORTLAND, Maine – A task force that studied homelessness in Portland over the past year is urging local stakeholders to summon the political will to fund the construction of 105 more specialized housing units for the homeless, according to its draft report. By implementing the major steps recommended in the report, which include a renewed … Read more