Service providers at several Maine nonprofit organizations and housing leaders said the state has made positive strides in its efforts to find shelter for asylum seekers.
And they said immigrants could bring economic benefits to other parts of the state, with the right support systems in place.
Thousands of asylum seekers, mostly from Central Africa, have arrived in Maine in recent years, with many settling in the greater Portland area.
Speaking at a housing forum in Portland this week, Fatumah Hussein, with the nonprofit Immigrant Resource Center of Maine, said finding affordable housing in Maine's largest city is increasingly difficult.
But, she said, that presents an opportunity for other communities to welcome immigrants in places where more jobs are more plentiful and employers struggle to find enough workers.
"Portland is very congested, and housing is needed," Hussein said. "And when you move further, employment also follows, and that builds the economy of the state of Maine."
Hussein recalled arriving in Lewiston as one of the first Somali families in the 2000s, and seeing how Somali business owners helped reinvigorate downtown.
But, she said, coordination of local services such as hospitals and schools, as well as open dialogue with host communities, are key to successful integration.
At the same event, MaineHousing director Dan Brennan echoed the view that new immigrants are a potential economic boon to communities throughout the state, and could help counteract Maine's labor shortage.
"I just fundamentally think that there's an opportunity for the state of Maine, long term and generational, to have a more welcoming environment throughout the entire state," Brennan said.
But he said challenges remain, including a negative view of immigrants in certain communities, and federal rules that prevent asylum seekers from working for at least six months after they file their immigration cases.
