James was 39 years old when he passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in November.
Experiencing homelessness and struggling with a disability from a rare nerve disorder, James stayed at Tedford Housing’s adult emergency housing for a couple months in late 2021. While he stayed with us, a Tedford case manager worked with him to secure permanent housing and was able to find him his own apartment using a rapid rehousing voucher through Maine Housing. With the support of his Tedford case manager, James maintained this housing for a year, but he continued to struggle with a substance use disorder.
He eventually lost his housing after violating the terms of his lease due to the challenges of his addiction. It was then, during this process of losing his housing, that James decided to make a commitment to engage in professional treatment for his substance use disorder and begin his path toward recovery.
Just prior to his passing, James was sober. Following a referral from his Tedford case manager, he had just begun an Intensive Outpatient Program with a local substance use treatment provider and was securing his placement into their sober house to help him fully commit toward his recovery from addiction.
He never made it there though. James passed away unexpectedly in his sleep due to unknown causes while living temporarily with his aunt just prior to entering the sober house.
James is just one of far too many members of the homeless community who we lost this year and who will be remembered on Wednesday, Dec. 21 on National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day.
Tedford Housing invites everyone to join us at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 1 Middle St. in Brunswick to remember those in our local homeless community who died this year. We will begin at 5 p.m. with a short remembrance service inside and then, weather permitting, move outside for a candlelight vigil and the reading of the names of those who we lost in 2022.
This annual Winter Solstice event brings awareness to the challenges of homelessness faced by many members of our community during one of the harshest times of the year. As we stand in the cold, dark night with just candles to light our way on the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, we will remember those who have died, and strengthen our resolve to ensure that no life is ever lived or lost in homelessness.
At Tedford Housing, we are continually adapting, growing, and striving to overcome the unique hurdles placed in the path the people experiencing or at risk of homelessness who we serve. For more than three decades, Tedford had been here to offer a hand up to people during one of the most difficult times in their lives.
The challenges faced by our community members without a permanent residence do not stop during periods of change like those we experienced during and since the pandemic. In fact, they have become ever more present and persistent due to the economic ramifications of systemwide shutdowns, changing social policies, and disappearing support services.
Last year, Tedford provided emergency housing for 55 individual adults and 19 families, comprised of 58 family members. But we also turned away 452 individual adults and 108 families with children that were never able to access our emergency housing.
Unfortunately, people are staying longer in our emergency housing too because there is such limited permanent housing available for them in our communities. Last year the average length of stay in emergency housing was 61 days for adults and for 96 days for families.
We are only beginning to feel the impacts of this crisis of housing and homelessness, but by working together our communities will find solutions. With your help and support, Tedford Housing stands ready to continue addressing both the immediate and long-term needs of people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
The Winter Solstice is often thought of as a time of rebirth as the days begin to lengthen again and push out the darkness of the night. Please join us for our service on National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day to and let’s work together to make this Winter Solstice a true turning point for our communities as we strive to ensure that every person has a safe, secure, and permanent place to call home.
Our Tedford Housing family wish everyone a happy, healthy, and housed New Year.
Rota L. Knott is executive director of Tedford Housing. Giving Voice is a weekly collaboration among four local nonprofit service agencies to share information and stories about their work in the community.
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