Urgent meeting with faith leaders to discuss housing for asylum seekers

More than 200 asylum seekers now staying at the Portland Expo need a place to live by the end of August when the facility will no longer be available as an emergency shelter. A coalition of cities and towns in Greater Portland have asked the Greater Portland Council of Governments to find ways that local residents can help.

GPCOG is inviting leaders of the region’s faith groups to attend a meeting to discuss how families in their communities can provide temporary housing.

Participants will learn about the success of the Yarmouth Compassionate Housing Initiative, a partnership among three churches that temporarily places asylum seekers with host families. The partnership uses an established process that includes an interview with the potential host family, completion of an intake form, orientation and placement. Since 2015, the initiative has provided housing to more than 40 asylum-seeking families (150 people).

Municipal leaders and leaders from immigrant groups are also invited to the meeting, which will be facilitated by Craig Freshley of Good Group Decisions. Assistant Portland City Manager Heather Brown will provide an update about the situation at the Expo. Chris Hall, General Counsel and Director of Regional Initiatives at GPCOG, will address funding that may be available for housing and food and also provide an update on the response by Gov. Mills.

Coffee and lunch will be provided. Please register so we will know how many people are attending.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Contact Chris Hall, General Counsel and Director of Regional Initiatives at GPCOG:

207-774-9891 ext 204

chall@gpcog.org

May other groups besides faith groups attend?

Yes. If there is a service group in your community that would like to host asylum seekers, please invite them to the meeting.