PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland Expo has been the home to nearly 300 asylum seekers since April. Families will be allowed to stay at the emergency shelter until August 16, just a little more than a month away.
Before the deadline comes, city officials and advocates are working to find short and long-term housing solutions for those seeking asylum.
City of Portland Spokesperson Jessica Grondin said Wednesday that finding more temporary housing isn't the best way to serve these families, but it is one solution.
Last month, the city approved the plans to open a new 180-person shelter for asylum seekers in Portland's Riverside neighborhood. It will also provide wrap-around services to those staying there. Those seeking asylum living at the Homeless Services Center on Riverside Street will get priority to move into the shelter.
Grondin said these housing concerns are keeping Portland leaders up at night and they're currently working on ways to address issues shared by asylum seekers at the Expo during a protest last week.
"I'm not so sure we'll be able to meet everything that they're looking for just because of the volume of people that we're serving and because our shelters are maxed at capacity," she added.
But, Grondin added, the shelter did expand its time for showers and the city is working with regional partners to secure more culturally-appropriate food options.
She said city leaders will continue to meet with asylum seekers to check in on what issues they still may have.
"We understand these are people who are living in these conditions that any one of us living in those conditions would probably have the same reaction," Ruben Torres, Communications and Policy Lead for the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition said.
Torres said the group works with city leaders to help connect with those staying in shelters to help with language disconnect or other culturally-appropriate measures.
He added the priority in the long term is to find permanent housing for the people staying at temporary shelters across the state. Torres admitted it does take time for any proposed projects to take effect.
For example, Portland's city manager and mayor sent a letter to Governor Janet Mills asking her to consider a proposal to shelter asylum seekers at Unity College in Waldo County or to call in the National Guard for help.
The Governor's Office and other stakeholders are reviewing that proposal but it will take time for a possible agreement could come together.
Grondin added the City of Portland is also working with private developers to come up with creative short-term housing solutions while permanent housing projects are in the works.
Another issue outside of city and state control is asylum seekers having to wait months, if not longer, for their work permits to be approved.
"These are people that want to work and what we're seeing across the state is that the state of Maine needs people to work," Torres said. "And we're seeing that the people that already have workers permits and are able to contribute to their society and communities through work are living much more meaningful experiences in their resettlement process."