The city of Westbrook is considering a new ordinance which would allow private homes, along with churches and community centers, to be used as homeless shelters, as the vast majority of people applying for housing assistance in the city are immigrants.
The proposal follows an earlier admission by the Westbrook official running the city’s welfare program that “90 to 95 percent” of welfare recipients are migrants — or “New Mainers.”
“What we can afford in this ordinance are shelters in single family homes which are deemed to be emergency shelter families,” said Jennie Franceschi, Westbrook Director of Planning and Code Enforcement “A church that has a room that they utilize for the purposes of baked bean suppers or educational or social needs could then take that room and make it into a shelter if the needs of the community necessitated it.”
The ordinance would not force private homeowners or churches to house homeless people, but would allow them to become official homeless shelters if they choose.
During a May 7 Planning Board meeting, multiple members of the public appeared to speak in favor of the new ordinance, arguing that it will help the city to deal better with the skyrocketing rate of homelessness in Cumberland County, of which Westbrook is a part.
One concerned Westbrook resident, Martin Malia, however, sent an email to be read during the public hearing, criticizing the new measure for the potential tax burden it could impose on property owners in the city.
“I do not believe the entire homeless shelter proposal is beneficial to the property taxpayers and residents of the city of Westbrook. Last year, the property taxpayers were burdened with an 8.8 [percent] tax increase,” Malia said, adding that the current proposal would hike property taxes by 11.4 percent.
Malia expressed concern that the new ordinance would attract more homeless immigrants to the city, who could then apply for taxpayer-funded General Assistance, which would add to the taxpayer funding going to the new shelters in private homes and churches.
He cited California’s homelessness crisis as an example of the negative effects of spending on homelessness, arguing that, as California spent increasing amounts of money on the problem, the homeless population in the state only grew.
“I believe the city, state, and federal resources should focus on finding affordable housing solutions rather than wasting tax dollars warehousing people,” said Malia.
The planning board did not address any of the concerns expressed by Malia.
Despite failing to address the tax burden imposed by the new shelters, the Planning Board voted unanimously to send the new ordinance, as well as an ordinance creating a licensing process for homeless shelters, to the city council for consideration.
At an April 9 Westbrook City Council meeting, which began with a “land acknowledgment” apologizing for colonialism, Harison Deah, the director of general assistance, admitted that the vast majority of people applying for general assistance in the town are “new Mainers” meaning immigrants.
“90 to 95 percent of our clients are new Mainers,” said Deah.
He went on to say that, in many cases, his office has to teach the immigrants living in apartments with the help of taxpayer-funded general assistance how to do basic things to avoid angering tenants and neighbors, such as how to use a thermostat.
According to Deah, the average client is on general assistance for a year and a half to two years.
The general assistance program poses a significant tax burden on Westbrook residents, with statewide taxpayer money used to pay for 70 percent of the assistance, and local residents paying 30 percent directly through property tax.
With the extremely high percentage of immigrants applying for general assistance, it is likely that many families housed in the newly proposed homeless shelters inside homes and churches, would be in the country illegally.
“How is this all not an immigration resettlement program being funded by taxpayers under the guise of fighting homelessness,” said Malia, in comments provided to The Maine Wire.
90to 95% criminals. There I fixed for you.
Let them migrate home.
All costing us taxpaying citizens more and more of our hard earned money.
These illegals are making more than the average income in Maine.
Cheaper to deport than support
sElections. Have. Consequences.
Why should ‘old’ Mainers have to pay for ILLEGAL Aliens?
How did all these ILLEGALS get to Maine? If they are on welfare then they could not have the funds to get here….
Maybe instead of assisting ILLEGALS why is this State government not supporting AMERICANS?
Send them back to where they came from…. cheaper and safer for Mainers!
Honestly I came to Maine to collect my welfare check and to go grow illegal weed.. there I said it
Thanks (non profit) Catholic Charities for dumping them here.
I remember when ICE use to do its job.
What happened?
Oh that’s right, the election was rigged.
The voting machines and tabulators were easily hacked. The communists currently control Maine.
New Mainers = Illegal Aliens. Westbrook is just as lost as Portland and South Portland; they continue to emulate the stupidest and worst policies of California and New York city. All I can guess is this is what the citizens want after all they voted or appointed these Marxists into office.
the federal government is in bed with ALLof the NGO’S are bringing all these people here to every state, on pourpse, making millions upon millions of dollars , OUR TAX DOLLARS are fueling/paying for all of this illegeal imigration, the INVASION OF OUR COUNTRY!!! thats right we get to watch it happen ad pay for it ! they are gutting the middle class, and all hard working people, as they, our government replace’s you/us, with them! they will take your jobs, your homes ,your schools, your towns and everything you worked so hard for. you wanna work on stopping it, run for all your local town office positions, school boards, etc. or these Marxists will keep filling them and destroy our country! wake the heck up people of Maine!!! Janet is bought and paid for by the communist party {democrats}. STOP WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS, THEY LIE. GET INFORMED, GOT TO THE EPOCH TIMES, OR REAL AMERICAS VOICE. YOU WANNA STOP IT/FIX IT, GET INVOLVED IN YOUR LOCAL POSITIONS, DO IT NOW!
So apparently Westbrook wants more homeless illegals for their taxpayers to pay for? What are these people thinking?
Are there actually churches or homeowners that would be nuts enough to do this? Implementation of this ordinance would be voluntary it says. How long before the marxists will make it mandatory? Must be a bunch of meatheads living in Westbrook to vote for the people behind these destructive policies.
What is a new Mainer or is it New Mainer?
I am 83 am I an old or Old Mainer?
This is a disgrace. Remember how they covered up the Somalian gang rape in Westbrook?
Whenever there is a crime….”a Maine man” somehow named….Muhammad Al Jafari
This is NOT a feasible solution! However it is exactly what is needed to crush Maine taxpayers and destroy the quality of their lives. Governor Mills’ plan is working out beautifully for her and her leftist pals!
Although the concerns raised by ´Malia’ are reality-based and valid, the planning board chose to do what the liberals in Augusta have been doing routinely. That is, to “lie by omission”. After all, who cares that tax paying citizens lives will be turned upside down? At least city leaders will have done their due diligence in support of Mills’ destructive, soul crushing attack on Maine taxpayers.
Start with the homes that gave a “Hate Has No Home Here” lawn sign. People complain about what’s going on yet when asked how they’ll be voting next time “oh all Dem of course!”
I am so glad that I moved away from the shit hole of Westbrook. What are these people thinking? Cumberland County is going down the tubes with all these illegal aliens. Let them into your house at your own demise.
“New citizens.” Isn’t that in most cases illegal alien?
Westbrook city counsel should open with an apology for supporting the colonization of Palestine by the IDF terrorists.
@Steve: A “new citizen” would in fact be a citizen. A “new Mainer”on the other hand is a baby. The only way to be from Maine is to be born here.
Yeah. Maine. We gonna impregnate all your women. So all “new Mainers” ate us. You eat ferns. We eat zebra. We love.
Sure hope that you vaccinate all of those new ‘Mainers’. Your state was an absolute stickler about it during Covid so much so that my son turned down a scholarship from Maine Maritime and went to SUNY Maritime instead.
It’s that pathetic Catholic church and it’s insatiable appetite for federal money that brought them here.
I wonder if the town of Westbrook takes care of their Veterans like this.
Your vote matters. If you continue to vote for Socialist Democrats like Biden you have no right to complain. Suck it up and deal with it or start voting with your brain instead of your emotions.
Tough Decision. 90-95% Are Illegal Aliens And You Want Tax Payers To Allow The Increase In Their Taxes By Calling Them “New Americans?” How About The Real Homeless And Veterans? What Do They Get? We Drive By Them Everyday. The Only Good Thing? When They Get Sent Back And Are Made To Come In Legally, A Lot Of Opportunities Should Open Up For The Vets And Homeless. They Will FINALLY Get Some Help, And Not Be Thought Of…..Last.
So.. where did all those sighs that said “water is life, love is love, we welcome all neighbors” go? We used to have hundreds in Yarmouth.. seem to have dissappeared.. I was going to volunteer their homes!