Leaders of Maine’s homeless shelters once more pleaded with state lawmakers to approve extra funding for them as one in Bangor faces a possible closure attributable to long-term deficits.
Representatives from low-barrier homeless shelters throughout the state testified Tuesday earlier than the Maine Legislature’s Joint Choose Committee on Housing, advocating for 2 proposed payments that goal to offer extra funding for Maine’s homeless shelters.
One invoice would direct the state Division of Well being and Human Providers to extend its in a single day mattress charge of reimbursement for Maine’s 5 low-barrier shelters. This could help Hope Home in Bangor, owned and operated by Penobscot Neighborhood Well being Care, which is the town’s solely low-barrier shelter and is in jeopardy of closing attributable to years of economic losses.
Low-barrier shelters settle for friends no matter their sobriety, psychological sickness or historical past of legal convictions, together with registration on the intercourse offender registry. In addition they don’t require background checks, credit score checks, revenue verification, earlier program participation or proof of identification for folks to entry assets.
With 64 beds, all of that are full on a typical evening, the Hope Hope is Maine’s second-largest shelter and the one low-barrier shelter north of Waterville.
Penobscot Neighborhood Well being Care President and CEO Lori Dwyer introduced in November 2023 that the well being care company is in search of a brand new proprietor to imagine operations of the Hope Home, as it will probably’t afford to maintain it afloat.
If the group can’t discover a new proprietor for the Hope Home by October, the shelter will shut, leaving the greater than 60 individuals who depend on the shelter and its providers with nowhere to go. These folks might look to different shelters within the state — all of that are at-capacity and financially struggling — or transfer to encampments that outreach staff are striving to shrink.
“The cumulative impression of years of flat funding has led up to now,” Dwyer wrote in her testimony Tuesday. “Although Hope Home is a high-functioning, skilled shelter with a protracted historical past of innovation and dedication to the group, with out a designated, ongoing income stream, we merely can’t do it anymore.”
A brand new proprietor for the shelter hadn’t been discovered as of Tuesday.
Final yr, the shelter portion of the Hope Home confronted a monetary deficit of greater than $600,000, in accordance with Dwyer. This yr, the shelter is projected to lose greater than $800,000.
If the Hope Home is pressured to shut, Dr. Katie White, CEO of Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter & Providers, Waterville’s low-barrier shelter, stated she’s certain she is going to see folks from Bangor on the lookout for assist. Others will probably trickle all the way down to Portland’s three low-barrier shelters solely to seek out they’re full.
“Most low-barrier shelters are operating at or near capability and haven’t any solution to take in the fallout from Hope Home closing,” stated Joe McNally, Director of Homeless Providers for Milestone Restoration. “Hope Home is vital not simply to the world they serve however to the state.”
Milestone Restoration in Portland gives a 36-bed low-barrier shelter particularly for intoxicated males.
Although Hope Home faces essentially the most quick risk of closure, Maine’s different shelters are additionally dealing with monetary hardship.
“If we don’t discover extra sources of income, we additionally won’t have the funds for to make payroll by this June,” White stated.
In Portland, Preble Avenue’s two low-barrier shelters — Elena’s Approach and Florence Home — face a funds shortfall of greater than $2 million, Preble Avenue Govt Director Mark Swann advised the Housing Committee final month.
Elena’s Approach and Florence Home every have 40 beds which are normally full every evening, in accordance with Danielle Smaha, Preble Avenue’s communications director.
Due to the minimal necessities to remain in low-barrier shelters, the organizations serve Maine’s most weak inhabitants, a lot of whom are grappling with substance use problems, psychological well being problems and power homelessness, amongst different challenges.
Friends’ elevated wants additionally means low-barrier shelters want extra funding to function, as they require extra workers and intensive programming.
Other than a secure place to sleep at evening, shelters are the place many individuals acquire entry to well being care, case administration and substance use restoration assets, Allie Lovejoy, vp of mission development at Preble Avenue, advised the housing committee.
“The results to the Maine financial system shall be important, but it surely needs to be famous that the person penalties, particularly well being outcomes, grow to be extreme and lethal,” White stated.
