Portland seeking partner to run nightly warming shelter this winter

 People load on to a shuttle taking them to Portland's warming shelter in the Riverside Industrial Park in December 2025. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer) Portland officials are again looking for a partner organization to operate a warming shelter this winter — this time in a space that would be open every night between December and April. The city will issue a “request for expressions of interest” Thursday to identify potential partners to collaborate on a low-barrier shelter for the 2026-27 winter, city spokesperson Jessica Grondin said. This past winter, the city operated an overnight warming shelter at its [former shelter for asylum seekers](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/03/17/portland-to-close-its-shelter-for-asylum-seekers/) in the Riverside Industrial Park after it was unable to secure a partner to run the shelter on the peninsula. But the shelter only opened when the temperature dipped to 15 degrees or colder, or when more than 10 inches of snow was forecasted. The effort was [questioned from the start](https://www.pressherald.com/2025/09/30/portlands-plan-for-winter-warming-shelter-draws-concern-but-options-are-limited/) due to its location and the continued use of thresholds to determine when the shelter would open, but officials said the city was hamstrung by a lack of options and its reliance on city staff and associated overtime costs. For the two years prior, a shelter was located at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church on Congress Street and operated by the nonprofit organization Commonspace. In a city news release Wednesday, staff said because the city does not have the internal staffing capacity or facility to operate the envisioned emergency winter warming shelter on a nightly basis, it is “looking to form strategic partnerships with community stakeholders to support operations and facility needs.” Advertisement Maggie McLoughlin, director of health and human services, said the city is seeking nonprofit organizations, service providers, faith communities, or health facilities that “share our commitment to community well-being and who are interested in working collaboratively to make this initiative a reality.” “We welcome innovative ideas, strong partnerships, and a genuine willingness to help create a safe and dignified option for those in need this winter,” she said. The warming shelter operated a total of 39 nights last winter. If the city is successful in finding a partner to operate a nightly shelter between Dec. 1, 2026 and April 1, 2027, it would be open 122 nights. While officials are seeking to expand to a nightly operation, staff said funding has not yet been secured for the coming winter, and the city anticipates applying for or supporting partner applications for MaineHousing funding in the fall.  Last year the city received $400,000 as part of a total of $2.3 million in state funding made available. The city did not spend all of the funds, though, and the leftover amount (about $160,000) was returned to MaineHousing. During a recent public safety and health and human services committee meeting, McLoughlin said the biggest costs are for the building and staffing. Councilors also have expressed interest in finding a building that could operate as a day space and warming shelter at night. The city’s request for partners will seek organizations that can either provide and manage overnight staff trained to work with unhoused individuals or property owners or institutions willing to donate or lease appropriate space with proximity to the Portland peninsula. Staff said the ideal facility would be able to accommodate 50 to 100 people. The deadline to submit expressions of interest is July 29. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [portland maine](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/portland-maine/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice) [Andrew RiceStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice) Andrew Rice is a staff writer at the Press Herald covering the city of Portland. He's been working in journalism since 2012, joining the Sun Journal in 2017, then the Press Herald in 2026. He lives in. [More by Andrew Rice](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice)