Homeless Task Force Meeting #21 (01/06)

The City has continued to meet with York County Legislators on the urgent matter of funding to sustain the Adult Emergency Shelter Services of the York County Shelter Program and funding for Shelter operations Sitewide. Legislators for the last two conferences have been;

• Representative Anne-Marie Mastraccio – Sanford
• Representative Michelle Meyer – Eliot – Co-Chair Health and Human Services Committee
• Senator Ingwersen – Biddeford – Co-Chair Health and Human Services Committee

The Legislative Meeting have focused on further information from the November Forum held at the Sanford Performing Arts Center, increasing the understanding of emergency shelter operations and how State funding is connected to operations. The outcome is to support future legislative actions to ensure continue operations of the Emergency Shelter Operations.

The second meeting on 1/6/25 focused on a presentation by Molly Feeney, Executive Director of Home Worthy in Knox County, and Chair of the Statewide Shelter Coalition. Ms. Feeney was able to explain how the various Federal and State allocations for Shelters in Maine are awarded and the resulting revenue of $7.50 per bed-night is the result for emergency shelter operations. Ms. Feeney further provided information on the average cost to provide these Shelter Services is $99.07 per bed-night.

Of the $7.3 million of funds allocated to Maine Shelters, the sources are;

• State General Fund (Unchanged since 2016): $2.5M
• Federal ESG (Minimal to no change historically) $1.3M
• HOME: MSHA (Increased by $1.1 M since 2020): $3.5M
• Total Funding to Shelters across Maine: $7.3 M

Shelter Coalition is seeking Legislative Sponsors for a Bill to increase the State General Fund by $5.0 M to $7.5 M. This would change the bed-night contribution from $7.50/night to $19/night. The Coalition believes this would keep the Shelters operating in the short term until the State can further increase funding in the subsequent year.

Legislators recommended that the Bill be submitted as Open Jacket so that a large contingency of Legislators could sign on as co-sponsors. They believe Speaker Fecteau and the York Delegation would all support as would a vast number of Legislators Statewide.

The Homeless Task Force on 1/6/2025 reviewed the number of persons still believed to be unhoused, the vast majority as surfing or seeking temporary shelter services and have refused further assistance. It was discussed that the Service Providers under the Region 1 HUB should be the primary points of contact for these people that have long term unhoused situations that re the result of their refusal of services. The HUB coordinated Agencies should focus on the outreach for this population.

The Task Force then discuss a revised focus based upon needs and where the population of people most at risk of becoming unhoused are. This shift in focus would more towards;

• Addressing the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained, Employed) population that have incomes below the ALICE thresholds to prevent homelessness.
• Strengthening the Transitional Elements of Housing Navigation and Coordinated Case Entry and Management
• Addressing Funds for Re-Adaptive Housing Opportunities such as the work of the Sanford Land Bank
• Increase the development of a continuum of Housing Opportunities

The Task Force may now focus it’s work on Ending the Homelessness Before it Starts, a framework developed by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. This is a direct correlation to the 19 Strategies to Address Encampments earlier developed and implemented by the Task Force. Having addressed a large number of unhoused, the refocused work will move towards prevention and placement to prevent the type and number of unhoused from ever accumulating again.

The Sanford Housing Authority is the lead in developing the Strategies and is entering into the data phase. The Task Force will seek to coordinate across multiple providers/agencies and to amplify the efforts through creative financing and advocacy.

The Task Force meets again on January 20th, 2025.

Recent Statistics:

Here are the most up to date stats we have on housing navigation (11 months):

• Housed 30 Households for a total of 66 people
• Of that number 16 Households are from YCSP
• 34 households have either found alternative housing
  • Assisted living
  • Living with family
  • Moved
• Or they had a voucher that expired or they did not get paperwork in on time after up to 180 extension days
• Currently working with 27 households and within a few weeks of housing a family at East Side Acres
• Please note this doesn’t include the people were housed, went to detox and treatment, or went into the shelter, right from the Encampment; that was an additional 78 people.