Senator Collins Announces a Total of $1,125,000 for Preble Street in Portland
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that Preble Street in Portland will receive a total of $1,125,000 in funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The funding includes $625,000 for transitional services that offer rapid re-housing and supported housing for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth and $500,000 for comprehensive services for victims of human trafficking.
“For the past four decades, the dedicated staff and volunteers at Preble Street have served Maine’s homeless and at-risk population,” said Senator Collins. “This funding will allow Preble Street to continue to provide and expand crucial services for vulnerable individuals facing homelessness, housing issues, hunger, and poverty,”
“Preble Street has worked to create innovative solutions-based programs for 40 years to empower the most vulnerable people in greater Portland to overcome homelessness, hunger and poverty,” said Mark R. Swann, Executive Director of Preble Street. “We're honored that the federal government recognizes the value of that work and are excited for the opportunity to expand those efforts to struggling Mainers in other parts of our state." "
Senator Collins has been a longtime supporter of Preble Street and recently received the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty’s annual Bruce F. Vento Award for her efforts to advance legislation to prevent homelessness among young adults, foster children, and families. Mark Swann, the Executive Director of Preble Street, attended the award ceremony.
This May, under Senator Collins’ leadership, the Senate passed a bipartisan appropriations bill that provides essential funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by a vote of 89 to 8. This overwhelmingly bipartisan bill includes $2.3 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, of which $40 million is dedicated for grants targeted to providing comprehensive and coordinated solutions to youth homelessness. In addition, earlier this Congress, Senator Collins introduced the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act with Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), which would strengthen critical preventive and treatment services.
