City HallTop story
Portland's council approves $735,000 for a winter warming shelter at Riverside
The council backed the Riverside shelter 7-2
- $735,000
- in opioid settlement money approved for the shelter
- 7-2
- council vote to fund 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway
- 5-4
- vote that failed on a limited state of emergency
- $1.2 million
- estimated cost of the Riverside proposal
Sources: Maine Public, WMTW, The Portland Press Herald
If you've been wondering where Portland's winter warming shelter will land, it's the same spot as last year. The City Council voted 7-2 Monday to use more than $700,000 in opioid settlement money for a nightly shelter at 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway. WMTW puts the amount at $735,000, down from an initial $900,000 proposal.
The downtown plan fell through. Seeds of Hope, the Biddeford nonprofit, told city staff it was no longer willing to run a shelter at Elena's Way over “community resistance and regulatory challenges,” and Preble Street declined too.
Councilors also voted down expanding the Homeless Services Center. A proposal to declare a state of limited emergency to expand the center failed 5 to 4. Supporters said it would provide an additional 50 beds sooner. The city still has to hire staff, and Assistant City Manager Dena Libner said the center already has 15 vacancies.
- Opening: likely sometime in December
- Getting there: shuttle service from the peninsula
- Also funding it: MaineHousing
- People under trespass orders at the Homeless Services Center: more than 50
The council approved less than the $900,000 first proposed
Source: WMTW
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Initial proposal | $900K |
| Approved | $735K |
