PORTLAND, Maine — For Rose Masse, the mother of a 6-year-old son, the road to being homeless began last spring, when her landlord was experiencing personal and financial problems.
“This house was a disorderly house for a long time, but it really went downhill when he couldn’t afford to take care of the property,” she said of her former apartment in a two-family Washburn Avenue house, where she had lived since 2004.
“Then sewage got in the basement, code enforcement got wind of it, and the house was shut down,” Masse said. “I was given four days to move out.”
Masse, 48, had few options. Unemployed and with a severe learning disability, she receives vouchers from a federal housing program to pay rent. But she already had tried unsuccessfully to find a new apartment for more than three years, she said.
“I must have made 1,000 calls to landlords in that time,” she said. “With the voucher, I still can’t compete for apartments.”
As she packed her belongings, Masse was told she could find emergency housing at the city’s Family Shelter on Chestnut Street. But when she contacted the shelter, she was repeatedly told that it was filled to capacity.
She and her son ended up staying temporarily with friends and family members. Today, they live in a screen house in a Gorham backyard.
“We’re camping out; we’re really nomads,” she said.
Masse’s experience is a sign of the times.
There’s no data to quantify the number of individuals who have become homeless because of landlords who can’t afford to maintain their buildings, according to Douglas Gardner, director of the city’s Health and Human Services Department. But as the economic downturn continues, he said, it’s not surprising that homelessness may be caused by such a ripple effect.
“Economics is still the top driver of homelessness in Portland,” Gardner said, noting that roughly a third of clients at city shelters are experiencing homelessness for the first time.
Portland’s homeless population continues to balloon — the average number of people who turned to shelters each night jumped by more than 50 between May and June, reaching an all-time high of 411. That’s a 16 percent increase over the average number for the previous June.
Meanwhile, the city struggles to keep up with the pace. For example, when the Chestnut Street shelter is full, family members in need are housed in hotel rooms, Gardner said. In June, an average of five individuals per night were housed this way.
“We don’t turn anyone away,” he said.
Masse said she was not offered that alternative when she was told the Chestnut Street shelter was full, despite the shelter policy.
Gardner said her case might be an “anomaly.”
“We always ask if folks have other options or resources that could keep them from entering the Family Shelter,” Gardner said. “I don’t know the specifics of this particular case, but … it sounds like those other options may have included family or friends.”
While the specifics may be unclear, Masse’s experience highlights the need for careful, case-by-case assessment of each individual’s needs — an approach the city is taking in its response to homelessness, Gardner said.
“There’s not one reason for homelessness,” he said, “and we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach.”
I find this story far fetched if she has a housing voucher and she hans’t been able to find anything for 3 years? That doesn’t add up!!
Housing in the Portland area is a bit more competitive than it is up here. They can probably find better tenants.
I know , what’s up with that ? I wonder if the option to find a place in another area has been discussed?
Snake it out. Dont wait for people to get wind of it..
Ahh…I see what you did there.
I have to wonder what the real story is here? While I am sympathetic to all parents with children, this doesn’t add up. It would be nice to always blame somebody else, but maybe she should make an effort to help herself. She should begin by asking herself: Is the reason no one will rent to me because of something on my rental history? Criminal background check? – I have no idea what the truth is, but it is very likely there is MORE to the story than this…
Did you NOT read the story? She has a learning disability. Though it is unstated what that disability may be, I suspect that it is playing a significant role in her troubles. And keep in mind “there but for the grace of God, go I.”
More to the story, perhaps she is royally screwed through no fault of her own.
The real story is the increase in the homeless. Not what you’d expect in an ” economic recovery”is it.
I had a man knock on my door a week or so ago looking for work. Door to door. Sound familiar? This country is in big trouble, despite the claims made by those in power.
Yes it is, when CEOs and corporations are making record profits yet are refusing to hire or pay their workers more. Because of oil speculators (investors playing the market to generate unearned income of capital gains) prices on almost everything have gone up but salaries have not kept pace. Workers who have not had raises have seen their buying power diminish, while those without jobs ( and since few businesses are hiring at a living wage) are not buying. Corporations, whose profits have risen exponentially as a result of tax cuts, refuse to honor their promises to create jobs, thereby exacerbating the problem. Trickle down economics is the fourth biggest lie in the world. While their at it, the corporatists are demanding more tax cuts and “smaller” government which translates to even more people out of work and not buying.
I don’t know that you’re entirely accurate here.
As someone who works for a fairly large business, I would love to hire more people, but we cannot afford to. We start new hires well above minimum wage and no one in upper management is drawing an exorbitant or ridiculous salary. Insurance, healthcare, utilities, fuel, cost of goods and taxes grow each year.
Kinda disappointed that Obama hasn’t fixed the problem yet. And I suppose you want him to have another 4 years to do it ! And now I am the one who has a hope for change .
Where is the father of this child and why can`t he help?
Why is it the resposibility of the tax payers to pony up the funds.
And has she looked for housing in other places besides Portland?
Says she has a sever learning disability, There are people in the same boat but are to proud to hold out their hands and take somthing they didn`t earn and be a burden on the taxpayers.
May not be able to get a job as a banker but set your sites a little lower and get a job.
What kind of example is she setting for her child– Ask and thou shall take the taxpayers of maine for a ride
Good to see that we have lots of intelligent, compassionate people like you. (/sarcasm)
Why is it society doesn`t hold the fathers accountable. The family needs help and it took 2 to concieve this child. And I believe the taxpayers of Maine were not there so why should they have pay support and not the father.
There is work if people really look. May not be the job she wants but at least she is trying.
I wouldn`t mind helping someone that is trying but someone that just holds the hands out and says you owe me fork it over.
Maybe this should be a good example why planned parenthood should intervene before they have a child they can`t afford.
I am sure she can find a minimum wage job but that does not put a roof over one’s head or feed and cloth a child. Now if you believe you are immune from the problems of the homeless because you are a stellar upstanding citizen, people who are homeless do not have regular access to health care, think about the communicable diseases you can catch due to not housing people properly or giving them access to basic sanitation and health care.
Why is it the taxpayers problem, and don`t use the excuse it just happened. When I raised my kids I had to work 2 jobs during the week and another on Saturday. and yes one of them was at minimum wage. If she has to get 2 jobs at minimum wage so be it. She can work at walmart and get insurance. I never even thought about asking for assistance from the state. Today society just has no pride or morals. we have become a welfare state. I do believe if someone is receiving any kind of state assistance then they should be doing community service. If they have to work for their check then just maybe they will get a job. people need to be selfsufficient and stop get a free ride.
And just how, pray tell, should planned parenthood intervene before someone has a child??
Planned parenthood is just that. A way to plan for a child and way to prevent unexpected children. There are several ways birthcontrol for women and now there is birth control for men.
people become careless and then want the taxpayers to foot the bill. Enough is enough.
Have a child when you can afford it and keep your hands out of the taxpayers pocket.
Crappy story.
No sh$t !
Too much sh$t
I have seen this before, a person who was not working and did not have a job. But had state aid and got her rent paid, was refused housing for about 6 months till someone finally gave in and gave her a chance.. She lived there for 12 to 15 years and kept a nice home always clean till she died. Landlords did not want to give a nice apartment to someone who was slow and on state aid, most of them fear they will trash the apartment.. In this case the state had to get involved and the town where she lived helped find her an apartment to live in..
It’s scary how many people are one or two paychecks away from being homeless in this country. Probably many more than we want to believe.
Unfortunately you’re correct.
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