MaineHousing awards a record $2.7 million to help agencies run winter warming shelters
MaineHousing announced a record $2.72 million grant to twelve nonprofit organizations to operate winter warming shelters across the state, providing a combined 474 beds for individuals facing cold and unsafe conditions. The funding, the largest ever awarded through the agency’s five‑year warming‑shelter program, will support heated spaces in Bangor, Lewiston, Portland, Augusta, Biddeford, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Orland, Presque Isle and Waterville, with most sites remaining open through April.
“Dangerous winter weather can put lives at risk, especially for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability,” said MaineHousing Director Dan Brennan in a news release. “We are grateful to the governor and the Maine Legislature for making these funds available. This investment helps local organizations prepare before winter and respond when dangerous weather threatens Maine people.”
The largest share of the grant goes to Biddeford‑based Seeds of Hope. The nonprofit will receive more than $660,000, including $304,000 for a 55‑bed shelter in Biddeford and nearly $361,000 to run a nightly warming shelter in Portland. The Portland facility, which the city decided to reopen in a downtown location after the previous shelter for asylum seekers closed, will be staffed by Seeds of Hope personnel who have experience handling high‑need populations and complex operational demands, according to the organization’s director.
Portland Mayor Mark Dion had voiced concerns earlier about whether any partner could meet the capacity needs in the state’s most populous area, but the city has partnered with Seeds of Hope to manage the shelter. The agency’s plan is to keep the Portland shelter open every night regardless of temperature or snowfall, a shift from the prior year when the shelter operated only when specific weather thresholds were met.
In addition to the shelter funding, MaineHousing continues to administer the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and the Energy Crisis Intervention Program, which assist eligible households with heating costs and emergencies. Heating oil prices have climbed to a record $6.02 per gallon, underscoring the financial pressure on many Maine families. “We know many families are concerned about heating costs,” Brennan said. “Programs such as HEAP can help thousands of Maine households each year, and we urge people to seek help before they face a crisis.”
Steve Hoad, a homeowner in Windsor, illustrated the strain on residents: his farmhouse will cost thousands more to keep warm this winter, a situation that HEAP is designed to alleviate. The state’s broader winter preparedness effort therefore combines shelter access for those without housing with assistance for households struggling to heat their homes.
Recipients of the warming‑shelter grants will coordinate with municipal officials, emergency management agencies and community partners to connect individuals in need with safe, heated spaces. The initiative aims to ensure that, throughout the winter months, anyone seeking refuge from the cold can find a warm place to stay, while also addressing the rising cost of heating for Maine’s broader population.
