PORTLAND, Maine — The City of Portland issued an announcement Friday of plans to clear a large homeless encampment under the Casco Bay Bridge along Commercial Street on Tuesday.
The encampment is located on the Harbor View Memorial Park, and an estimated 110 tents were located there as of Friday, according to the City of Portland Unhoused Community Dashboard.
The announcement to clear the encampment was shared in a press release sent by the city, which noted that approximately 100 shelter beds were available through the Homeless Services Center.
Portland leaders were specific to note they planned to "resolve encampments" starting Dec. 19, city spokesperson Jessica Grondin said Friday in a news release, citing increased concerns of health and public safety risks as winter sets in.
When asked for clarification, Grondin explained to NEWS CENTER Maine in an email that the use of the term "resolve" and not "sweep" was carefully chosen, as she said a sweep "typically means that no or little notice is given and no resources are provided when an encampment is cleared ... Resolve means that a tremendous effort has been applied before an encampment is cleared."
But other advocates say the plan to clear the encampment may not be productive.
Leaders at Preble Street say by moving forward with ordinance enforcement, it may relocate folks, which could cause issues when trying to contact them to offer assistance.
"The language city hall is using is absolutely and unarguably a sweep," Preble Street Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Donna Yellen said. "It is going to hinder and slow down all of the work that is being done right now to bring people in, and to help them heal in different ways."
In the announcement, the city laid out an itemized list of steps they say they took ahead of the announced plan through their Encampment Crisis Response Team (ECRT) as soon as shelter capacity increased Nov. 30, which included but was not limited to the following:
- Conducted outreach focused on encouraging relocation to the HSC, dispelling perceived HSC barriers, and addressing individuals’ concerns where possible
- Collected data related to reasons for refusal
- Used clear, proactive communication with partners and unhoused individuals regarding the Harbor View outreach plan
- Provided transportation and storage options for individuals to relocate to the HSC
- Conducted intensive daily outreach led by a team of mostly Public Health staff along with other City staff members. This team worked in "zones" (or designated areas) at Harbor View wherein staff focused on a target of 20 intakes per day due to outreach and intake staff capacity.
Upon completion of the survey, the city said it noted several trends regarding reluctancy or barriers that prevent people experiencing homelessness to facilitate the use of a shelter, with "loss of autonomy ... cited as the top reason for declining a bed at the HSC by those staying at the Harbor View encampment," the release stated.
The HSC reportedly adjusted its curfew hours following the report to 11 p.m. to "further reduce barriers," due to the "additional capacity," according to the release.
Folks living at the Harbor View Memorial Park encampment who spoke with NEWS CENTER Maine said similar complications, such as a fear of being removed from a partner, are the reasons why some aren't seeking emergency shelter.
"I have a little dog, and they don't allow them to go into the shelter unless it's a service dog ... it's like a child, you know?" Erica Mathis said, who has been living at the encampment for a few weeks. "I wouldn't want to give away my child to go into the shelter. I tell everyone I would rather be outside."
Mathis adds that she hopes similar accommodations may be made in the near future.
Grondin also said in the release that outreach workers have been able to bring 43 people from the Harbor View encampment and more than 110 unhoused individuals total into the shelters "since the opening of the new emergency shelter at 166 Riverside Industrial Parkway" about two weeks ago.
The Maine Department of Transportation has been working this week to install fencing in the park under the bridge over concerns about public safety when clearing snow and ice off the bridge as well as to ensure access for maintenance of a broken heater system for a sewer pipe, the department said.
Signs warning about the fencing plans were distributed in that area beginning Dec. 1, MaineDOT spokesperson Paul Merrill said.