Homelessness on the rise in Maine, according to 2022 survey

An annual survey from MaineHousing exhibits homelessness within the state is on the rise, and group organizers worry that with out extra consideration on Maine’s housing disaster, the pattern will proceed.

There have been 4,411 folks experiencing homelessness in Maine on Jan. 25, a major spike in comparison with earlier years.

However for the primary time that quantity contains 956 folks in transitional housing and a pair of,476 others staying in lodges by way of emergency rental help and basic help applications. All advised, some 3,291 folks have been sheltered through the state’s point-in-time depend.

The true quantity is probably going greater, stated Cullen Ryan, govt director for Neighborhood Housing of Maine, because the point-in-time survey is supposed to be a snapshot of homelessness within the state throughout one evening in January.

The state has entry to federal assets to briefly shelter Mainers and asylum seekers that it has by no means had earlier than, Ryan stated, however Maine’s unaffordable and tight rental and housing market is prolonging homelessness for some.

“They have been unable to search out locations for folks to go,” stated Ryan, who additionally serves because the president of the Maine Continuum of Care Board of Administrators. “Individuals are getting caught in homelessness for prolonged durations of time, not due to advanced points however as a result of there isn’t a housing to go to.”

Whereas Portland is the first touchdown place for asylum seekers coming to Maine, Ryan stated he hears in regards to the lack of housing choices throughout the whole state, from Bangor and Aroostook County to western and coastal Maine.

“The largest fear that I’ve is that once you have a look at cities on the West Coast, there may be an unprecedented and quickly rising scenario of people who find themselves unsheltered fully and are attempting to make a go of it exterior,” he stated. “We simply cannot have that occur in Maine as a result of our climate simply does not permit it. We actually ought to be setting the bar greater to not permit folks to be exterior.”

The MaineHousing survey additionally counted 164 unsheltered people this yr, up from 141 again in 2020. There was no unsheltered depend final yr as a result of pandemic, in response to MaineHousing.

Practically one-quarter of homeless people have been beneath age 18, in response to the survey. Nearly half of households experiencing homelessness have a minimum of one baby.

Information additionally exhibits homeless people have been extra prone to be male and nonwhite in comparison with Maine’s precise inhabitants, which is 91% white and 49% male, in response to MaineHousing.