It is important that our representatives vote to disallow moratoria for operating emergency shelters in Maine. L.D. 2146, An Act to Prohibit Certain Municipalities from Adopting Moratoria on Emergency Shelters, focuses on cities with 20,000 or more inhabitants and should be passed, but it is important that no city or town be allowed to deny someone a warm bed and shelter when in need.

The Point in Time Count, which provides us with information about the number of people experiencing homelessness on a certain night each year in Maine, indicates that on Jan. 24 there were 4,258 people in the state experiencing homelessness. Of those, 55% had at least one child with them. The largest number of people experiencing homelessness on that night were in Cumberland County.

If you have ever pulled your coat tighter around you as you walked across a parking lot on a wintery night in Maine, you likely recognize the difficulties of being outside for too long in our weather. That there are almost 5,000 people in need of a way to stay warm during a dangerously cold time of year is unacceptable, especially given the number of children included.

While it makes sense to create environments that are welcoming for all, we should not be so worried about attracting the wealthy to our downtowns, with fun little coffee shops and cozy restaurants, that we forget to make room for those among us who also need food and access to a clean bathroom. Not allowing emergency shelters makes these places less safe; it forces people experiencing homelessness to do in public what should be private activities because they have no place to go. Imagine having to carry all your belongings with you everywhere you go, and not knowing if you will be allowed to use the nearest public restroom because you do not have the money to be a paying customer.

There is a lack of shelters and beds across the state. Low barrier shelters, which allow a person to stay the night regardless of sobriety, criminal history or mental health status, are struggling to stay open; this is the result of the increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Maine, as well as inadequate funding to run these facilities.

When an individual in our large state, which includes many rural areas, finds themselves without housing, the answer is not fewer housing options, and it is not to create scenarios where specific sites must shoulder the burden because other places are not welcoming. An unhoused person who lives in Augusta (population just under 19,000) should not have to try to get to Brunswick (population just over 20,000), for example, to try and secure a bed to sleep in. This expectation places added stress on the person who is unhoused (who may not drive and may not be able to afford to pay for transportation from Augusta to Brunswick), and it creates anger and frustration among the unhoused population already vying for limited spaces in Brunswick.

Restricting where people can go to find emergency shelter is unsafe. Those who are already struggling to find and have a place to stay should not face increased barriers to accessing a warm space, a bed, and safe assistance should there be a medical incident or need. All people deserve shelter, food and safety. Passing L.D. 2146 allows that to happen, because it eliminates yet another barrier to options for people who are unhoused.

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