Homeless Taskforce Update #5 (10/3)

This Report is on the Unhoused Populations within Sanford, Asylum-Seekers and Unhoused Residents within Sanford. It is being reported bi-weekly to the City Council in preparation for any legislative actions as well as to inform the general public of actions being taken.

Currently, there are two major categories of people without housing at this juncture; 1) recent immigrants crossing our Country’s Borders seeking Asylum and transported to our City, 2) Citizens of our Country, predominantly Residents of Sanford/Springvale, who are without housing for a number of reasons.

Asylum-Seekers (AS):

Between May 1, 2023 and July 20th, with the closure of the Emergency Shelter, a total of 35 Families comprising over 150 individuals were provided emergency housing, food, healthcare, and other support services as Asylum-Seekers.

Current Status:

36 Families living in Sanford/Springvale 126 people
4 Families housed in Lewiston 13 people
1 Family in Arundel 6 people
2 Families in long-term host homes
2 Families left Sanford without housing 6 people
2 Families moving to Sanford as connections with others here

Resource coordination continues around these Families with LIHEAP, TANF, Internet ACP, GAP Rental Assistance, Public Transport coordination, school enrollment, and General Assistance.

Maine Association of New Mainers is providing mentoring programing to train volunteers to assist with assimilation into the network of resources. Public Transit system is connecting people to Portland, Biddeford, around Sanford and even into Boston for immigration hearings.

It was noted that AS entering the work force, that a Federal Housing Voucher is lower than typical rents within our Region. This was noted as a current trend for all and why many people are becoming unhoused due to the high and rising cost of rents.

Resident Unhoused Population:

The City’s Homeless Task Force was activated to again increase the efforts around addressing our Resident Unhoused Population, people originating in Sanford/Springvale (or the close Region) who have become or have been unhoused for an extended period for various reasons. The Sanford Police Department Mental Health Unit (MHU) tracks the number of contacts, interviews the contacts, and maintains a data base of the Unhoused and the associated reason/s for being unhoused. Due to the rapid increase in the number of Unhoused in the last year as well as the increased presence of financially unhoused, mental health and most dramatically Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD), the Task Force was activated to further address homelessness.

Task Force Meeting #5 September 25, 2023

City and Community Partners;

City Council Representation
Sanford Housing Authority
York County Community Action Corp.
Sanford School Department
Sanford Police Department and Mental Health Unit
Sanford Fire Department
York County Shelter Program
Opportunity Alliance
City Administrative Staff

The scope for the Task Force is to identify both short term and long-term solutions towards the coordinated address of homelessness within Sanford and the surrounding Region. Recognition is made of the dedication of resources and expertise by the Community Partners with the Task Force.

Current Stats: Reported by the Sanford Police Mental Health Unit (MHU)

Stat were updated as follows;

159 Unique Contacts – up by 8
107 Homeless being monitored, up from 83 prior period
Noted one Mom with 4 kids – kids are under case management Prebble Street
30 remain as identified as having high probability of becoming housed using the Partnered Resources
Remaining Unhoused will require greater case management and allocation of Resources

Services to those unhoused were reviewed as;

PAYT Trash bags have been issued for clean up with very limited success of return
Porta Potties are installed at Police Department and stocked with supplies and sharps containers – Very limited use noted at start
Meals are served at Sunset Towers and working well with Case Managers seeking to complete Coordinated Entry paperwork for new people
Showers are available at the YMCA MHU paying the fees

The Mental Health Unit has signed and implemented a Memorandum of Understanding with Maine Behavioral Health for the Sanford Goodall Hospital location for services. The MOU outlines the coordinated and collaborative arrangement allowing the MHU Clinicians and Police Officer for protective custody to make direct referrals as opposed to having to go through the Emergency Department, only. This will expedite access to services and save resources within the Emergency Department. Future referrals may increase as SMHC increases Staff at the Goodall Hospital to staff all available beds in the Unit.

The York County Shelter Program continues to work on the Lease and Staffing for the Warming Shelter slated to open within the Lafayette School by October 15th, 2023. There are funds to Staff for 20 overnight stays, capacity for 42 stays, and funding is being sought to close the gap. There is also a second Lease pending for Lafayette for a Resource Center to assist people in need of shelter to address the underlying reason for being unhoused as well as resources to self-sufficiency moving forward.

Chief Anderson made the Task Force aware that Dispatch is required to connect People in Crisis, mental health crisis, to the State Hotline. The State Lines are under staffed and not providing adequate and timely response. Dispatch continues to connect the MHU with those in crisis to capitalize on the local and individualized response of the MHU and Team.

One Couple, of the 30 unhoused economically, has just been assigned an apartment by the coordinated efforts of YCCAC navigator and Sanford Housing Authority voucher. Resource connections and coordination are essential to timely address.

The Task Force focused on coordination and collaboration under the title of Coordinated Entry and efforts to utilized within the Taskf Force but also York County wide to better facilitate services to individuals having multiple contacts across our partners. A separate Group has developed just on the Coordinated Entry and was to meet later that week.

City Manager recently met with York County on the use of $100,000 in this year’s County Budget to Regionally address Homelessness. Originally the funds were envisions to perform a Study by a firm out of Texas, who would ultimately make recommendations. The Group recognized the further coordination of pre-existing Agencies and Services would produce better results with the Coordinated Entry as the mechanism and means for coordination. The Group is to explore a software/app options for service providers, police officers and others to utilize while in the filed or otherwise in contact with unhoused people. Best Practices and Resource Guides to be used within York County were also put as an option within the funds available. An example of the Sanford specific Resource guide is attached.

Further Coordination of Resources Provisions

Coordinated Entry Working Group has been established across service providers to streamline and share information across all platforms and for all services. See York County resource discussion.

Case Management within Mental Health Unit: YCCAC has assigned a Case Manager to work with the MHU that started on 9/11/23 and are working on defining best practices to expedite connections to services.

Peer Support Center

The Center that closed on Washington Street, operated by Maine Behavioral Health, is still seeking a new location, but without success to date. The impact of their closure this past June has been both apparent and impactful within the Community as individual needs are no longer being met in their absence.

SMHC Director notified City that due to the inability to timely identify a Sanford location, the Peer Center submitted a budget for State Approval less a Sanford location. A pledge to work with the City is a location if found is there, but far less viable at this juncture.

Community Paramedicine Program working with the Mental Health Unit of the PD

City Administration was able to announce that the City has received licensure by the State of Maine EMS for a Community Paramedicine Program*. It was further announced that the State will award the City with a Grant of $100 thousand this year towards the first position.

*A Community Paramedicine program is a healthcare initiative that leverages the skills and resources of paramedics to provide preventive and non-emergency medical care within a community. These programs typically involve paramedics working beyond their traditional roles of responding to 911 calls and instead focus on services like home visits, health education, chronic disease management, and wellness checks. Community Paramedicine programs aim to improve access to healthcare, reduce emergency room visits, and enhance overall community health by addressing healthcare needs proactively and in a community-based setting.

A national model of how these coordinated resources connect has been brought by Deputy Chief Small from a recent training session. Although an extensive model, we observe the City has all of the components now or pending absent needing to address further capacities of mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) beds. The Program seeks to best coordinate our current resources around Pathways of diversion from crime to evidence-based treatment. See Attached illustrative diagram.

State Grant is being moved for City Council review and funding completion for the 10/2/2023 Council Meeting with the expectations of financial support from Medical Providers in Sanford being SMHC and Nasson. Details still pending on additionally needed funds.

AmeriCorps Positions:

Sanford Housing Authority submitted an application for 4 individuals to train as Housing Navigator/Case Managers through AmeriCorps. Award notification is still pending. The Sanford Housing Authority is moving forward to hire a Navigator Position in anticipation and to use to train people if awarded.

Resource Hub –

Service Partners YCCAC, Sanford Housing Authority, YCSP, Nasson Health, and other providers have coordinated to stand up a Temporary Resource Hub for the two weeks in October, the weeks of October 2nd and 9th. The Center will be open 9AM-2PM each date located in the parking lot of YCCAC off Spruce Street. The Resource Hub worked well in 2019 and seeks to again provide services to the unhoused this fall prior to cold weather setting in for winter.

Housing First Model: Restated

Sanford Housing Authority is actively engaged in the Feasibility Study to purchase land, a developer to construct, and a partner to operate York County’s first Housing First Unit of 40 Units. The Facility once built will provide transitional housing for those needing 24/7 case management to make the transition from homeless to permanent housing and work. The Housing Authority will work on a Community Education and Capital Campaign as they work on a competitive Grant Application pending for October of this year. Maine State Housing indicates they can fund 12 such projects across the State and that 2 of those should be located in York County.

Post Meeting Note:

City received communications on 10/2/2023 from Maine Access Points Sanford Harm Reduction Program that they secured a brick and mortar location at 840 Main Street. They will spend the next few weeks renovating for the purpose of the Program.

They noted; We plan to offer HIV and hepatitis C testing, syringe disposal, naloxone and overdose prevention education, safer use supplies including educating people about non-injection alternatives, and extensive referral support including linkage to Nasson for primary care, medications for substance use disorder and wound care. As soon as I have more information about our days and times, I will update you all. We currently have 1.5 staff for our Sanford program and will be posting for an additional 1 FTE this week.

They also noted they would be joining the Task Force to coordinate services in relationship to our unhoused population.