A few state lawmakers are proposing legislation to stop the practice of clearing tent encampments on public property.
Under one proposal, the state would authorize sites within various municipalities around Maine where unhoused people could camp at night.
The bill's sponsor, state Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, said the idea would be to allow nighttime camping only, while providing storage and sanitation services for unhoused people during the day.
"At a sanctioned site there could better safety precautions, better sanitation precautions and public health measures," he said. "And then businesses in the area could go about their daily operations without interference."
State Rep. Ambureen Rana, D-Bangor, has also proposed two bills that would prohibit the clearing of tent encampments throughout Maine.
Rana said while people should not be living outside, the practice of sweeping encampments is destabilizing. And she said it displaces them from their belongings, and from advocates who can help them find more permanent housing or services.
"We're also seeing this as motivating municipalities in the state to find bigger solutions to get people long term housing," Rana added.
These measures will not be considered by the Legislature before the state is expected to clear Portland's largest encampment on Nov. 1. Lookner said he opposes the planned removal of that site and believes his proposal could prevent future sweeps.
"Sanctioned campsites are not a solution," Lookner said. "They're a stop-gap measure. They're an improvement to the situation we have now. And the real solution, in the long run, is to build more housing."
Both Rana and Lookner are submitting proposals to the Legislature as Maine's largest cities experience an increase in homelessness this year.
