Senator Collins Announces More Than $20 Million to Combat Homelessness in Maine
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that 15 organizations and state agencies in Maine have been awarded a total of $20,850,852 to support housing assistance to homeless individuals and families, as well as those fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. This funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.
“Too many Mainers will be forced this winter to go without having a safe place to eat, sleep, and call home,” said Senator Collins. “As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I was pleased to champion these substantial investments that will address the urgent needs of vulnerable populations in Maine, helping to ensure our neighbors have access to the necessary support to regain stability and independence.”
The grant funding is allocated as follows:
- The State of Maine - $12,256,655
- Preble Street (Portland) - $2,451,945
- Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (Augusta) - $1,802,995
- The City of Bangor - $1,231,588
- Maine State Housing Authority - $1,230,524
- Community Care (Bangor) - $803,937
- Through These Doors (Portland) - $336,282
- New Beginnings (Lewiston) - $164,339
- Safe Voices (Auburn) - $161,580
- Volunteers of America: Northern New England (Brunswick) - $159,800
- Penquis C.A.P. (Bangor) - $100,000
- Kennebec Behavioral Health (Waterville) - $54,720
- OHI (Bangor) - $47,190
- Community Housing of Maine (Portland) - $33,014
- Tedford Housing (Brunswick) - $16,283
Last January, Senator Collins announced that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill she co-authored was signed into law as part of the year-end omnibus funding package. The legislation allotted more than $3.7 billion in funding to help design and implement local solutions to end homelessness, including through programs like the CoC Program.
In November, Senator Collins introduced the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2023 with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize key federal grant programs to provide states with funding to help thousands of homeless young people nationwide.
The CoC Program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; to provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, States, and local governments to quickly re-house homeless individuals, families, persons fleeing domestic violence, and youth while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness; to promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and to optimize self-sufficiency among those experiencing homelessness.
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