Biddeford City Council recently held a workshop to discuss homelessness in the city and ways to help – a first step in a more robust look at how to assist people who are unsheltered. Here, people marked World Homelessness Day in October in Portland. Brianna Soukup Photo/Portland Press Herald

BIDDEFORD — Every night in Biddeford, there are people without a place to call home who are sleeping outside, who are couch-surfing with a friend, or may be temporarily sheltered in a motel room through funding from rental assistance or other programs. They might be spending time in a local warming shelter.

Homelessness is not unique to Biddeford — the population of most towns and cities in York County, in Maine and across the country includes those who do not have a permanent place to live.

In Biddeford, the 2022 annual U.S. Housing and Urban Development  Point in Time homeless count, conducted in late January, reported 24 individuals without a place to live, said Biddeford Community Development Coordinator Abigail Smallwood, up from previous years due in part, she said, from the pandemic and the end of the moratorium on eviction.

Biddeford City Council came together in a workshop a week ago to hear about the situation and to discuss ways the city can help.

City Manager Jim Bennett outlined the issue.

“The staff has been dealing with growing and changing homelessness in the city,” Bennett said. He pointed out that seven to eight years ago, most unsheltered people were locals known to the community. But, said Bennett, that is not the case anymore, and the complexity of the issues has increased as well.

“Right now, we do what is required by state and federal law,” he said. “We deal with the encampments and other impacts on individual properties and businesses as they occur, based on a complaint-driven system.”

Bennett noted the city has supported a warming center at Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center the last couple of years, and other programs, and has provided basic human needs like portable toilets in the encampments.

“When winter comes and the encampments leave, we’ve spent money to clean them up, ” he pointed out. He said the city had made a conscious effort not to criminalize homelessness but to try and help people through various municipal and other services.

Rev. Shirley Bowen of Seeds of Hope said it has been her understanding that there have been cuts in funding for case management in some programs and said services for those fighting addiction “desperately” need to be addressed.

Help for providing more affordable housing would be welcome, she said, and noted that even housing termed affordable is too expensive for some — like those living on a $900  monthly income.

“I think we need a boarding home to get people off the street and find them housing security,” said Councilor Doris Ortiz, adding she believes the pandemic has impacted many and created additional homelessness.

“There’s a stereotype that comes with homelessness and that really needs to be shattered because that isn’t the majority of people,” Ortiz said. “(People) need to have homes so they have security, can get jobs, so they can take care of their mental health. ”

Ortiz said she knows the community at large probably does not want a shelter.

Mayor Alan Casavant said the Portland shelter model had “become a magnet” for everyone around that city. “If Biddeford had a shelter, it would be a magnet for everyone around the area. I say this because it is a state problem, and the state has refused to do anything about it. I don’t think anyone is not willing to take care of its own people, but when people migrate because of services, it becomes a mess.”

He noted there have been issues associated with homelessness downtown, with people defecating in various storefronts.

And he said creating affordable housing is even harder these days because of supply issues and increased costs of materials.

Councilor Amy Clearwater pointed out that there are agencies working on the housing issue, like Biddeford Housing Authority and MaineHousing.

“There are people who own properties like the Thacher we know we need to rely on,” she said, and suggested additional conversations with MaineHousing, Avesta, Habitat for Humanity  and others.

Councilor Bob Mills said he supports transitional housing where people get an apartment, along with education on how to secure and maintain a job.

In response to a question, Biddeford Police Sgt. Steven Gorton said the city needs low barrier or no barrier emergency housing.

“We see that as the most urgent … (for) those struggling with mental health and substance issues, when it’s Friday afternoon, 20 degrees outside and none of the motels will take them,” said Gorton.

Council President Norman Belanger said it would be a mistake for the city to do nothing, even though local efforts may be limited, and said he would like proposals from everyone. Belanger spoke of human dignity and noted people in homeless community don’t have others to speak out for them.

Councilor Marc Lessard said various Biddeford city councils have been talking about homelessness since 1990. “There’s no one answer to this,” he said. Lessard said the city should look at funding “up front,” and not be tempted to cut it when potential mil rate increases look to be more than the council is comfortable with. An alternative would be to reduce spending in other areas to accommodate for the funding, he said.

Clearwater said she believed the council should dedicate some money to the issue this year and noted there are unencumbered American Rescue Plan Act funds that could be tapped, along with affordable housing TIF funds. “We know it’s easier to keep someone in a house rather than find a new place,”  she said. She suggested a conversation with York County Shelter Programs.

Councilor Liam LaFountain suggested working with other communities to see what each can bring to the table.

Bennett said he would take the council’s concerns and suggestions and come back with some deliberate steps that could be taken.