The Portland City Council Monday will consider three measures aimed at helping unhoused residents and asylum seekers.
One is a pilot program to assist unhoused people in finding places to live. Housing Opportunities for People in Encampments, or HOPE, will use three housing navigators and two outreach workers to guide unhoused residents in their search for homes, offer treatment and cover move-in expenses and landlord incentives.
MaineHousing will cover two-thirds of the program's estimated $678,000 cost. The city will pick up the remainder with American Rescue Plan Act funds. The goal is to provide stable housing for 45 individuals or households over the course of a year.
Second, the council will be asked to approve an extension of the emergency order to increase the number of beds at the Homeless Services Center from 208 to 258 until June.
And third, Portland councilors will consider a $364,000 grant from MaineHousing to fund the city's Resettlement Program that helps asylum seekers connect to housing and benefits. The grant and city funds would support the program for one year.
