I get it. Intuitively, smaller shelters sound better. Fewer people, less crowding, more opportunity for individualized attention. That’s what I thought six years ago when I was first running for office.
 
At that time, as part of the 2015 Task Force to Study the Feasibility of Consolidating Shelter Services, Preble Street and the City of Portland were talking about establishing a 300-bed shelter for men on a small, city-owned parcel in Bayside. That didn’t sound like a good idea to me.
 
My gut reaction was that there was no way a single facility could humanely serve 300 people experiencing homelessness and that thise individuals would be much better served in a different setting.
 
On the campaign trail, I advocated for the city to instead build five smaller shelters, scattered throughout the city, and I was pretty passionate about it. In fact, I may very well have been the person who locally popularized the phrase, “We can’t warehouse people.” I said it at nearly every forum I attended.
 
But that was then. And I can tell you now: I didn’t know what I was talking about. 

For several years now, we've been working to replace the Oxford Street Shelter, and we are finally on the cusp of building a new Homeless Services Center at 638-654 Riverside Street that will do just that. The new, state-of-the art, 208-bed facility will be open 24/7 and it will finally provide those in our community experiencing homelessness the services they need in a spacious, welcoming, comfortable, secure, and dignified setting. This is a desperately needed facility with great community support.

National experts have been consulted and a great deal of community input has been received and incorporated. Read on to learn about our journey to this point, and why this service model is the right move for Portland. ​

Question 1 on Portland’s November 2021 ballot asks:​

​First, I want to say that I agree wholeheartedly with the joint statement that was issued by Northern Light Health and MaineHealth, the parent organizations for Mercy and Maine Med, respectively. As they said on September 17, 2021, people must do everything they can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Everyone who is able should:
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• get vaccinated;
• wear a mask in public indoor settings;
• practice social distancing;
• wash their hands well and regularly; and
• think twice about attending large indoor gatherings – especially if they know others in attendance will be unmasked or unvaccinated.
  ​

That said, I am opposed to enacting a mask mandate in the City of Portland for numerous reasons, which I have outlined below.

Lately I've been getting a lot of emails about the volume of trash on the Eastern Prom, its potential causes, and what we should do about it. Read on to see one of the most recent emails on this topic (edited for anonymity) and my response. 

.The Council just held an Executive Session and brief workshop to discuss the passage of Question A and how the City will be implementing it. 

When the Council returned to open session, the Mayor announced that the Council, after consulting with Corporation Counsel, is choosing to interpret the ordinance associated with Question A according to its plain language.

What this means is that we are interpreting this ordinance based on exactly what it says, and what it says quite plainly is that there will be no change to the minimum wage until January 1, 2022.

That means that hazard pay does not go into effect at this time and that the minimum wage remains at $12 until January 1, 2022 when it will go to $13 and the hazard pay will go into effect if there is a state of emergency that geographically applies to a Portland workplace. 

Also, as the Mayor said, there will be clarifying language posted to the City's website this evening, so please check there for more information.

UPDATE: Below, please see the Council guidance regarding the interpretation of Question A (minimum wage) and the impact of Question F (marijuana licensing) on first round applicants.