At least 15 people from Bangor’s largest homeless encampment have moved into permanent housing since Oct. 10, but roughly 50 more need to leave the site by the end of the year.
Another two people who were living in the wooded area behind the Hope House Health and Living Center signed leases for apartments on Monday, according to Debbie Laurie, Bangor’s city manager.
That’s in addition to three other people who were moved into a shelter, two who were reconnected with a family and six who left the encampment “under other circumstances” as of Nov. 26, according to Jena Jones, Bangor’s homelessness response manager.
“We’ve gotten some people into a shelter who some thought would never enter a shelter, so those were big wins,” Laurie said.
Municipal staff gave Bangor city councilors an update on the progress on housing people living in the city’s largest encampment on Monday, roughly four weeks before the site is due to close. With the closure deadline looming, dozens more people remain in the encampment in need of housing or a plan of what to do next.
The city announced in October that it would close the encampment off Cleveland Street and Texas Avenue on Dec. 31 after moving the roughly 70 people who live in tents, vehicles and rudimentary shelters into some form of housing.
Roughly 50 to 55 people still live in the encampment, though it can be difficult to determine an exact number, as some visit the site during the day but don’t sleep there, Laurie said.
While most of the encampments’ residents are cooperating with outreach workers, Laurie said some will always be resistant to help. However, some people are changing their minds as they see their neighbors successfully finding housing.
“They see the change and have hope,” Laurie said.
The main barrier to progress is the number of new people moving into the encampment, Laurie said. Those people are offered the opportunity to cooperate with outreach workers or connect to other resources, but told they must leave by the end of the year.
While Councilors Michael Beck and Joseph Leonard applauded the progress outreach workers have made to get people housing or other resources, they advocated for removing the closure deadline and instead waiting for all residents to be successfully housed before closing the encampment.
Beck and Leonard said they fear sticking with the Dec. 31 closure date will break trust with people who are hesitant or reluctant to accept help. Furthermore, anyone who is forced to leave the encampment at the end of the month could form another encampment elsewhere.
“There’s no reason for us to have a hard, fixed date,” Leonard said. “We’re doing a lot of good work right now and I don’t want to see that flushed down the drain. I will be completely furious if we close down this encampment and another one pops up again.”
Laurie said Bangor has several encampments and the city will always have some people who are homeless for some reason. But, the city now has the tools and community partnerships to better manage the issue and support people who need help.
Aside from working to get people into some kind of housing, medical professionals from Penobscot Community Health Care go into the encampment at least once a week to address residents’ medication needs and treat wounds or general illnesses, said Jennifer Gunderman, Bangor public health director.
Next week, a pet clinic will also come to the encampment to ensure residents’ pets have up-to-date vaccinations, as that can be a requirement for housing.
As people leave the encampment, the city is also ensuring they have a list of resources, a wound care kit, and naloxone, and that their belongings are being stored safely, Gunderman said.
To help the city meet its goals, MaineHousing awarded Bangor a $350,000 grant to establish a Housing Navigator and Stabilization Pilot Program.
The grant will fund a new position for someone to help people from the encampment remain housed, as that’s often more challenging than getting someone into a unit, Laurie said.
The funding will pay for the city to get documents people need in the housing process, such as new IDs or housing applications, as well as transportation and professional moving services.
The grant can also buy basic home furnishings for people who move into an apartment, Laurie said.
“Taking someone out of an encampment and putting them into an apartment, what do you think it looks like?” Laurie said. “It looks like an encampment indoors. Allowing people some basic furnishings to create a home they can sustain, take pride in and reconnect with friends and family is important.”
The grant can also cover unanticipated expenses. For example, if someone is applying for a job but needs a certain type of safety footwear to get hired, the city can help with that.
Bangor city councilors will likely formally accept the grant in next week’s meeting.
