State officials said they will likely have to discontinue a transitional housing program for asylum-seekers by the end of the year, citing budget constraints and fewer new arrivals.
Since 2022, MaineHousing has leased a hotel in Saco as a resettlement hub for asylum-seekers, providing shelter for more than 700 people during that time.
The agency contracts Catholic Charities Maine to run daily operations, which include job training programs, English classes and help finding permanent housing.
But with fewer asylum-seekers arriving in Maine and the state facing a tight budget picture, the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future said the $6 million annual cost of the program is no longer warranted.
Catholic Charities Maine Migration Director Charles Mugabe, who oversees the program, said he’s confident the group will be able to find permanent housing for the 86 households currently living there.
“In partnership with our existing housing navigation partners with the state, we can, we can certainly accomplish that,” he said, noting that the vast majority of work-eligible individuals in the program have secured employment.
“We are proud of the accomplishments so far, and we feel very privileged to be in this unique position to provide support for individuals as they begin their new lives in Maine,” he said.
The current lease on the hotel runs through Sept. 30.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.