City Hall·Bangor Advisory Committee on Homelessness
Bangor homelessness committee backs Project Hope funding split
The Advisory Committee on Homelessness met Sept. 22 without a quorum at the start, then gained enough members to vote. The committee recommended that the City Council accept a MaineHousing grant for Project Hope, with the city's match split between opioid settlement funds and a community development block grant. Members also discussed warming shelters, syringe waste disposal, and the Bangor Opportunity Plan.
Key points
- The committee voted to recommend that the council accept a $300,000 MaineHousing grant for Project Hope, with the city's $126,000 match split between opioid settlement funds and community development block grant money.
- Jason Goodrich reported that all four warming centers applied for MaineHousing funding and hope to open between Nov. 15 and Nov. 30; contracts are expected to be awarded the week of Sept. 28.
- Jen Gunderman said Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness picked up 2,947 syringes through the city's memorandum of understanding in 2025, a number down to 721 so far this year, and that two more syringe boxes are planned for the waterfront.
- A motion to recommend that the city create a dashboard tracking homelessness efforts failed for lack of a second.
- Councilor Carolyn Fish said the council wants the committee's feedback on Project Hope and raised concerns about ongoing city obligations beyond the pilot year.
- Members discussed a 24/7 "triage coordinator" concept and the need for transportation and mobile mental health services for people experiencing homelessness.
Next steps
- Jen Gunderman will gather data from Portland on housing retention and eviction rates for Project Hope participants.
- Gunderman will compile a list of possible syringe disposal options and associated costs, including a potential syringe take-back day.
- Gunderman is working with Parks and Rec to place two additional syringe boxes on the waterfront.
- Gunderman will bring themes from the committee's discussion back to the group as it begins developing a strategic plan.
Where this came from
City of Bangor YouTube
The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.
Watch the meeting ↗The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.