SOUTH PORTLAND – In a recent South Portland City Council meeting, City Manager Scott Morelli, the council, and stakeholders discussed the status of transitional housing at Howard Johnsons. Morelli opened the session, stating, “Last year around this time, the council had passed an ordinance further clarifying that lodging establishments are lodging establishments and not shelters.”

The move was prompted by the prior three years’ use of such establishments as shelters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deadline set for lodging establishments to find alternative housing for unhoused individuals was June 30. Morelli said, “At the peak of all this, there were around 1,000 individuals in motels, split between asylum seekers and some domestic unhoused. By June, about 350 people remained, and the state proposed using Howard Johnson hotel for a year as transitional housing.”

The unique aspect of this model was its focus on providing “wraparound” services in addition to shelter. The services, primarily managed by Catholic Charities with support from Prosperity Maine and other organizations, aimed to address various needs such as work permits, asylum seeker processes, English language skills, and job-seeking skills.

Since the move-ins last July, approximately 190 individuals have found alternative placements, averaging about 10 per month. With a deadline of June 30, 2024, representatives from the state, Maine Housing, Catholic Charities, and Prosperity Maine gathered to discuss the current situation and plan for the remaining 190 individuals.

The governor’s office’s Greg Payne, senior advisor on housing policy, provided an update. “We want to express our gratitude to the city staff for the collaborative and transparent way that we’ve been able to work together,” Payne said.

Payne highlighted the allocation of funds: “Over the past one and half years, the governor and the legislature have allocated funds to something called the Emergency Housing Relief Fund, which sits at Maine housing and is administered by Maine housing. Those funds have been deployed for arrange of purposes to benefit people who are experiencing homelessness, that includes winter warming shelters, longer term shelter that operates year-round, permanent housing, transitional housing and some services that are ancillary to helping making sure people get housed and stay housed.”

Payne said this particular initiative at the Howard Johnson falls into the bucket of transitional housing. He said Maine Housing allocated funds to Howard Johnsons for the room, they allocated funds to Catholic Charities for the comprehensive onsite services. “Comprehensive services that you’ll hear about and they have allocated funds to Prosperity Maine to help with the work of located housing for people and navigating housing process, including security deposits,” Payne said.

The report presented by Payne outlined the progress, with 18 households currently at Howard Johnsons, six slotted for apartments, and a total of 42 households needing resolution by June 30. Notably, 100 percent of households applied for asylum, 68 percent received work authorization, and 57 percent are now employed.

Julie Allaire, chief program officer at Catholic Charities, explained that the South Portland initiative is modeled after their work in Saco, drawing on 50 years of experience in helping refugees resettle in Maine. The organization provides support with public benefits, education, healthcare systems, and housing.

Councilor Elyse Tipton expressed satisfaction and said, “That is good news indeed,” upon learning that around half of the households at Howard Johnsons have jobs.

Councilor Natalie West asked about the plan to move everyone out of the hotel by June.

Payne said the data indicated they will be able to meet the deadline. He emphasized that once individuals gain work authorization, they can afford to contribute. Payne added that they are proactively working on 18 additional units to reduce the 42 households, expressing confidence in meeting the June 30 deadline.

Councilor Richard Matthews raised concerns about potential families remaining in the hotel in June, questioning the governor’s game plan.

“The city of South Portland has spent millions, and I mean millions of dollars and I just want to know the governors game plan,” Matthews said. “Don’t get me wrong, you guys are doing a fantastic job. You’ve dropped the numbers down. But if we end up with 30 or 35 families come June 30, what are we going to do?”

Payne assured compliance with the agreement and expressed focus on avoiding any remaining households. “We have come to an agreement with the city we will meet it,” Payne said.

The discussion also included the release of $150,000 from an escrow account back to Maine Housing, supporting the placement of families into alternative living situations. The funds, initially set aside for potential additional costs, were deemed unnecessary as general assistance costs were minimal, health needs were met through existing means, and unpaid ambulance bills were manageable.

The director of housing at Prosperity Maine emphasized the need for funding to accelerate housing solutions, especially for first-month rent and support for small landlords.

Payne summarized the experience as “remarkable,” expressing confidence in a successful outcome. The discussion on fund allocation will continue at a meeting scheduled for Feb. 6.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.