Like most medium to large American cities these days, Portland, Maine has a significant homelessness problem. It’s not so much an issue of illegal migrants, though they have some of those also. Portland mostly just has its own native homeless population, ranging from people who are simply down on their luck to those with serious drug abuse or mental health issues. The city of roughly 70,000 people has a few shelters for the homeless, but they are typically full on a nightly basis. Many people wind up living in tents and makeshift shelters on public land. But the city has been regularly clearing those encampments several times per year. Now there are social justice advocates calling on the city to end this policy and allow people to “camp” where they wish. They’re eying policies that have been used in Massachusetts to deal with the homeless population. (Boston Globe)Read More
Maine is clearing homeless encampments. Some want that to stop
