Bangor warming shelters face potential funding shortfall despite record Maine Housing investment

Bangor warming shelters face potential funding shortfall despite record Maine Housing investment

Maine Housing has allocated nearly $3 million to support warming shelters across the state this winter, a record amount aimed at helping people experiencing homelessness stay warm during the cold months. Nearly $500,000 of that funding went to the Brick Church and the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, enabling them to continue operations. However, two other organizations that operated warming shelters in Bangor last winter—Together Place and Manna—did not receive state funding through the program.

Joseph Hartel, executive director of Together Place, said the organizations had been preparing to open again before learning they would not receive state funding. “The warming shelter, it takes a lot of money to put this together,” Hartel said. “We had been planning as if we were going to open the doors. When we didn’t get the funding, it came as a shock.” Together Place and Manna provided about 65 beds last winter, according to Hartel. Without additional funding, he said those beds will not be available this winter.

The Brick Church and Bangor Area Homeless Shelter have funding to continue operating, but Hartel said their combined capacity will not be enough to serve everyone who may need shelter. “Leon has 65, I believe. And then Boy From Home has about five beds,” Hartel said. “I think that’s probably somewhere around half the population will have beds.” Last winter, the Brick Church, Together Place and Manna collectively provided shelter for more than 100 people each night.

Tina Jakacky, secretary of the Brick Church, said the organization has tried to make room for additional people when demand increases. “When we get a lot of people, we move the storehouse around so that we can add people in there,” Jakacky said. Hartel said the organizations are still communicating with the city about potential funding options as they work to address the gap in shelter capacity.

“I think that we need to explore potential ways to mitigate the risk to the unhoused community,” Hartel said. The warming shelter organizations are also planning to meet to discuss how they can work together and develop a plan for the winter. “We’ve got an upcoming meeting where the warming shelters get together,” Hartel said. “We’re going to discuss and try to come up with a plan.”

With winter approaching, local nonprofits say they are continuing to look for ways to keep people experiencing homelessness safe and warm.

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