PORTLAND, Maine — The City of Portland has revealed its plans to aid the remaining asylum seekers who are being housed at the Portland Expo, which is scheduled to close as an emergency shelter on Wednesday, Aug. 16.
Jessica Grondin, a spokesperson with the city, told NEWS CENTER Maine on Friday afternoon that the city would be contracting with two hotels. One hotel would be in Cumberland County, and the other would be in a different county, though she did not specify which county at the time.
One of the hotels should be able to house the asylum seekers for up to a year, and the other for several months, with the same wraparound services, including support from the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition, that they currently receive at the Portland Expo, according to the spokesperson.
Funding to support the asylum seekers is made available through General Assistance money, Grondin said.
She said the plan to start relocating the asylum seekers would begin Aug. 16, though the specifics of that process remain somewhat unclear.
Grondin said about 62 families were still left at the Expo, totaling about 192 individuals.
"Our staff have worked really hard to be able to place those that were at the Expo in housing or in other shelter units that we provide. But obviously, the Aug. 16 deadline is Wednesday, and we have to stick to that deadline due to our contractual obligations," Grondin said.
The city opened the Portland Expo as an emergency shelter for individuals seeking safety from violence in their home countries on April 10. Just seven days after opening, the Expo was at capacity, with 301 people staying there. Any additional asylum seekers in need of shelter were asked at the time to find housing elsewhere. The Expo ceased intake for asylum seekers on June 4, with the hope they could get the remaining individuals in touch with permanent housing solutions by the expected closure date.
In the meantime, the governor's office and MaineHousing have partnered with three organizations to send up to $500 per month for up to a year to supplement resources families seeking asylum have, such as General Assistance or TANF, to help them afford an apartment.
The governor's press secretary, Ben Goodman, told NEWS CENTER Maine they expect the effort will help house about 125 families. They said the effort has been successful in resolving the issue in Sanford.