⌛ A deadline bears down on asylum seekers in Maine's largest city.
◉ The Portland Expo, which has been housing hundreds of asylum seekers during a recent influx, will close as a makeshift shelter on Tuesday, leading to questions for roughly 200 people housed there as of this week.
◉ People have been gradually moving out of the center over the past few weeks, both on their own and into shelters or more permanent options such as hotels, rooms in private homes in the area and the few available housing units in the area suffering from an acute housing shortage.
◉ This week, Gov. Janet Mills' office said she would not follow Massachusetts in declaring a state of emergency on the asylum housing issue. Some leaders have asked her to coordinate a major response, while she has pointed to actions her administration and the Legislature have taken on housing.
◉ "Many question marks, but I have optimism and I have confidence in not only city staff, but so many community partners that are working to develop options and pathways for families," Snyder told News Center Maine this week of the impending deadline. |
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