BELFAST, Maine — A single mother facing eviction in Maine turned to her city government for help — and was offered a tent, and camping gear. And now the camping gear is in short supply, as well.
Belfast General Assistance Administrator Jodie Stout tells the Bangor Daily News that the city can't put people in temporary housing such as hotel rooms in nice weather unless the homeless person has a medical condition.
So they're handing out tents. And she tells the BDN the need for temporary housing is so great that she had to start a wait list for people who need tents and other camping gear.
Even if a homeless or housing insecure person gets a tent, there isn’t a municipal campground, and people are largely on their own to find a place to pitch them. Stout told the BDN she encourages them to call campgrounds, where sometimes the owners will let people work in order to stay there, or find landowners who wouldn’t mind if they camp on their land.
She’s glad that some locals have started to use social media to ask for donations of tents, sleeping bags and other camping gear that the city can give to people who become homeless.
According to the Bangor Daily News, apartments are scarce right now in Belfast, and even if people at risk of homelessness can find a place to stay, they may not make enough money to afford rent.
All of this is why a group of concerned Belfast area citizens began meeting during the past year to talk about solutions and to raise awareness about the issue.
“People don’t realize,” Stout told the paper. “That’s why we got this group together, so we can try to figure out what’s going on in Waldo County. We have people from the churches, local citizens, doctors, local organizations, trying to figure out what to do next.”
Back to the single-mother who asked for help. She told the Bangor Daily News, for the time being, she’s couch-surfing, with her kids staying a lot at their dad’s house. After applying for many jobs during the last couple of months, she finally got an interview with an employer this week and is hoping her luck might turn around. As well, she has learned that if she finds another apartment, the city might be able to help her come up with the security deposit.
