The City of Portland is teaming up with the Quality Housing Coalition (QHC) and the Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) to launch a new program to house asylum seekers in the homes of landlords and homeowners with extra space, according to a Tuesday city press release.
As almost 300 asylum seekers face being kicked out of temporary housing at the Portland Exposition Building in August, city officials have scrambled to find them accommodations.
In late June, Mayor Kate Snyder and City Manager Danielle West penned a letter to Gov. Janet Mills asking for her assistance in housing migrants at Unity Environmental University — and if that failed, to direct the National Guard to open an emergency shelter.
This new program, called Project HOME, will offer landlords and homeowners who are willing to provide a spare room, home, apartment, short-term rental, or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) guaranteed rent, year-long housing support, and a “financial guarantee” from the QHC.
Monthly rent will be guaranteed by Project HOME, and staff will serve as liaisons to communicate between the homeshare providers and tenants.
“We are proud to be able to launch this partnership with the City of Portland and GPCOG. When individuals and families have stable and supportive housing, they are able to access the benefits of education, health and well-being, and are better positioned to attain their professional goals,” said Victoria Morales, Executive Director of the Quality Housing Coalition.
“When we solve for permanent affordable housing, everything else falls into place—individuals, families, and children experience less stress, gain confidence and self-agency, and thrive,” Morales said.
Project HOMES is similar to a 2019 program launched by the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and GPCOG called the “Host Homes” program, which was launched in order to help house 148 asylum seekers sheltered at the expo.
[RELATED: Portland City Council Approves Contract for $4.59 Million 180-Bed Shelter for Asylum Seekers]
In the Host Homes program, however, homeowners who took in the asylum seekers were not paid rent and only committed to sharing their homes for a period of three months.
“We are hopeful that this program will help us find housing opportunities for the families currently staying at the temporary emergency shelter at the Expo as that space will be closing on August 16,” said Danielle West, Portland’s City Manager.
“That is why we are thankful for QHC’s innovative Project HOME program. They are seeking homeshare providers and landlords who can help us successfully house those in need. That is why we are all calling on everyone in the region who has extra space they don’t need right now, whether it be a bedroom, ADU, apartment, or short-term rental to step forward and be a part of this program,” West added.
“The guaranteed rent and support services are key. These elements will make it possible to find housing for more families, and it will give those families the stability they need,” said Belinda Ray, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Greater Portland Council of Governments.
18 Comments
Do you see any of the Portland City council or city manager or anyone else in city hall taking them?
Why this state keeps voting democrat I will never know.
Oh, this has no chance of going very wrong. I hope all the progressives that are dying to have all these “asylum seekers / illegals here open up their homes. Put your homes where ur mouths are
This is great. I’m getting my popcorn ready. Oh and Mills next time when you have your picture taken and published, make sure there’s no greasy stain on your blue dress. It’s making you look like a slob.
Where is the money coming from ? We lost our property tax freeze so the democrats could pay for ILLEGALS. Someone should find out how they manage to pay for crossing the ocean and then entering the country illegally. Cloward and Piven anyone? This is an invasion, plain and simple.
It will be fascinating to see how many Portland Democrats and current political leaders sign up to take in these people. What are the length -of-stay terms of Project HOME ? Host Home is a 3 month stay. What if the asylum seekers don’t want to leave after 3 months ? What if nothing else is found for them ? What if the host becomes happy with these people in their home and they want them to leave ?And are they fully vetted ? Could some be criminals and would you want those living in your home with you ? What if they give you a hard time about not getting “culturally appropriate food” and “comfortable enough beds” as these same asylum seekers demanded recently in protests in front of the Expo building ? How about the recent asylum seeking immigrants who are already here and in government housing or in private housing – are they taking in anyone ? How about the immigrant coordinators ?
Why do American politicians, bureaucrats, propaganda outlets & virtue signaling dimwitted private citizens insist upon keeping our borders open for the benefit of drug traffickers , human traffickers, & welfare seeking border breachers ?
Why do the majority of Americans allow politicians, bureaucrats, & propaganda outlets to get away with destroying our homeland ?
I think I have the answer…send undocumented immigrants to the Blaine House where the problem originated. Then, when it is full to capacity, build tent cities in the legislative parking lots. Let the leftist politicians, who have been hell bent on destroying the fabric of our once fine state, experience the ‘joys’ of their policies up close and personal.
…too bad Democrats can’t think past the end of their noses. Always creating problems with absolutely no idea of how to fix them. Look at any program they have instituted and you’ll find a plethora of related problems that go with it. There is zero foresight. Good luck with this newest ‘program’ of housing illegals in private homes…what could possibly go wrong? Mills should to get her cues from people other than Mayor Adams of NYC!
Who can see this ending well? Once they (the illegals) enter your home you will never get them out! These are not asylum seekers, they are foreign invaders here to take what they can from the United States of America. They should be returned to their country of origin. There is also the question of what diseases these illegals are carrying, do you want your family, neighbors exposed to issues that have not been seen in the USA for decades?
Mayor Kate sent out an email using her personal email for some reason encouraging Portlander’s to share their homes and help solve the housing shortfall. Typical of Democrats, the assumption is that nothing would go wrong with the scenario, that everyone seeking housing is trustworthy, clean and appreciative. Here’s my response to Kate:
“Kate, you picked the wrong people to rely on. Yes you are surrounded by idiots.
You are missing the unintended consequences. This extra income will impact Social Security, and income taxes and who knows what other payments.
If someone is living just under the income parameters that would drive them to decreased benefits such as LIHEAP and such. Are you planning on paying these extra costs?
We will know soon enough how this program will impact all those concerned. But the rent subsidy becomes income to the unhoused and to the rookie landlord both.
Now, what about other considerations such as tenant’s insurance. What happens during an illness of the tenant that transmits to the landlord – an elderly person in poor health? What happens when a landlord has a heart attack or other medical emergency? Is the tenant obligated to call 911? Do they even know what 911 represents?
What if it is discovered that the new tenant isn’t exactly a ‘good’ tenant? What if they act out? Remember the protestors and how angry they are? Put them in a house with a single mother with two kids.
You ever gone to the fridge late at night for a small bowl of ice cream only to discover that your new tenant ate it all – except for a spoonful they left out of guilt?
Are you really going to make our residents sign substantial releases and ‘hold harmless’ clauses?
Experimenting on real people takes a lot more knowledge than Portland and GPCOG have.
Go for it … who knows, you could beat the odds. Now can I put a casino on my ship?”
When are Voters going to SMARTEN UP and VOTE these Local and State and Federal idiots out of office. Is it that important to follow the crowd even when it’s leading your children to living in a coming world of CHAOS.
Be brave when it comes time to vote. Listen to what’s inside and VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE or what’s left of it. I won’t tell your friends..
When this doesn’t work, how long before the socialists take this space by Eminent domain? Sound far fetched? What is more important, shelter and warmth for our fellow man, during the harsh Maine winters or who provides the electricity to charge your Prius? Portland and the 1st C.D. you have been voting for this crap for years. Now sit down, shut up, and suck it up.
Why not send them to M.D.I, Camden, or any of the other democrat’s lovely enclaves. Surely their McMansions must have empty rooms to accommodate these new Mainers!
Question. If they are poor and need housing, why don’t they WORK, so they can earn some money to rent a place of their own?
Watch this 20 minute video from last October and remember this: the 9 Portland city councilors are Democrats; Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Mayorkas are Democrats. THEY are exponentially creating the housing crisis by allowing hundreds of thousands of illegals, aka, fake asylees and fake refugees, into our country. As with all their public policies, they create the very problems that now have to be solved.
https://cis.org/Book/OVERRUN-How-Joe-Biden-Unleashed-Greatest-Border-Crisis-American-History
The Dumbs keep talking about “affordable housing”. If none of these “immigrants” has a job, all housing is unaffordable. Unless the Socialist Government is paying the bill. Then its our money being used, the affordable and spending aren’t in the same sentence.
Biden is coming to Maine. Get your “Let’s Go Brandon “ t-shirts over here!