The Midcoast Youth Center and Skatepark received a transformative state grant to prevent youth from experiencing homelessness in Sagadahoc County.

One of the MaineHousing grants will bring $442,000 to Maine’s Midcoast region, serving nearly 300 students without stable housing. Nearly $250,000 of these funds will be allocated for emergency financial assistance to help families maintain or obtain stable housing, according to Youth Center Director of Development Kirstie Truluck. Another grant in 2024 allowed the organization to hire a new director, Michele Cooper.

Bath’s Regional School Unit 1, in partnership with Midcoast Youth Center, secured the grant, which was one of five awarded across the state in mid-January. The grant is part of nearly $700,000 in total funding secured for the region through two successful MaineHousing grant applications in recent months, with the Midcoast Youth Center playing a leading role.

“This additional funding will allow us to reach more families earlier, provide more comprehensive support, and ensure students can focus on their education rather than wondering where they’ll sleep at night,” said Katie Joseph, RSU 1 assistant superintendent.

According to a press release from Midcoast Youth Center, the funding will add two homelessness prevention and housing navigation specialist positions at the Merrymeeting Support Collaborative for Youth Experiencing Homelessness. The collaborative program has historically served RSU 1 and Maine School Administrative District 75 but will expand to the Brunswick and Richmond school districts.

Midcoast Youth Center has housed two programs: the Merrymeeting Support Collaborative, which serves 60–70 youths annually through an outreach coordinator in RSU 1 and SAD 75; and the Step Up Program, which offers traditional supportive housing for youth aged out of the foster care system.

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According to Midcoast Youth Center’s 2022–2023 year-end report, 71 students were identified and opted into services provided by Merrymeeting Support Collaborative across RSU 1, SAD 75 and the youth center.

“These issues have been here, and the phrase I have come to use is ‘hiding in plain sight,'” Truluck said. “These kids might be couch surfing, [and] might not be sleeping in the woods, but they are not stably housed.”

Midcoast Youth Center Executive Director Jamie Dorr said this funding will transform the center’s mission to unlock the inherent potential of every young person.

“When youth are worried about basic needs like housing, they can’t focus on growing, learning or discovering their passions,” Dorr said. “By expanding our prevention services and emergency assistance, we are not just avoiding homelessness — we are creating a stable foundation young people need to truly thrive.”

Michele Cooper is the new hire for the Director of Youth Housing and Homeless Prevention for the Midcoast Youth Center as part of recent state grant funding awarded by MaineHousing. Courtesy of the Midcoast Youth Center

Midcoast Youth Center wanted to hire someone for the new director of Youth Housing & Homeless Prevention position with a social work background and experience targeting case management to support the Step Up Program. Cooper, the center’s pick for the role, has decades of such experience.

The Step Up Program serves up to 12 young adults experiencing homelessness between the ages of 18 and 24. It provides two units of dorm-style living accommodations, and Cooper ensures that the youths receive coaching on how to be independent adults and works with the Community Resource Navigator Kirsten Latter.

“They have to have a job and pay a small amount of rent, and a portion of that also goes to a savings account, so when they are ready to move out, they have something to start with,” Truluck said.

The Maine Legislature directed MaineHousing to work with the Maine Department of Education to establish criteria for these pilot program grants to determine best practices for preventing student homelessness in Maine.

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