PORTLAND, Maine — For now, the Bayside Trail homeless encampment in Portland won't be cleared as the city waits to gather more feedback on its approach.
During Tuesday's emergency meeting of the city council's Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee, city leaders went over recommendations made by the director of health and human services to form an encampment task force that would convene when a site is being considered for removal.
The task force would deploy a mobile engagement center, which would provide a host of services ranging from food, medical care, harm reduction, and resources to maintain safe spaces, as well as housing and shelter services onsite at the encampment.
"We need a people and housing first approach to this," Kristen Dow, Portland's director of health and human services, said.
Many leaders agreed a task force is the right solution long term, but doesn't address the immediate issue — the Bayside Trail encampment.
"We should move that encampment and then move forward with Director Dow's proposal," Interim Portland Police Chief Heath Gorham said.
Of the more than 110 tents set up across the city, more than 50 are on the trail, city leaders said during the meeting. Emergency calls to the area have increased to more than 70 percent in the last year.
Officials said this is creating a dangerous situation for people living in the Bayside neighborhood and the community as a whole.
"My own staff has had accidental needle sticks, asthma attacks, workers comp cases, guns pulled on them, I’ve had to have them go through self-defense training," Ethan Hipple, Portland's director of parks, recreation, and facilities, explained.
At the end of the meeting, city leaders agreed to hold off on clearing the encampment and forming a task force until they receive more input. The next Health and Human Services meeting is set for next Tuesday.
You can read more about the encampment proposals here.