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Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Portland sues Maine DHHS over General Assistance cuts for homeless shelters
May 6—The city of Portland has filed a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Health and Human Services hoping to overturn a new rule that will cut millions of dollars in emergency shelter funding for the city. The complaint was filed in Cumberland County Superior Court in Portland last week, arguing that the rule was not changed through the proper process and should be considered void. The city also asks for a temporary injunction barring the rule from being implemented while a judge considers the lawsuit. No court dates have been scheduled yet. If the rule holds, Portland leaders have said it will be difficult for the city to continue operating the shelter without a sharp tax increase or pulling from an emergency fund. "We're not just going to hope for resolution in the Legislature, we're also going to seek an answer in the court. We're not going to be passive," Portland Mayor Mark Dion said in a phone interview Tuesday. Rule 26 went into effect on April 1 and formalizes how the department determines shelter costs, 70% of which are reimbursed through General Assistance. The city has said it costs $84 per guest, per day, to operate the shelter, but based on the new rule, the state said it should only cost $48 per guest per day. The state is now using a standard known as the "zero-bedroom rate," equal to that of operating a studio or efficiency apartment for each guest. That number is adjusted annually and is based on location-specific fair market rents established by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. View this document on Scribd The state has said that Rule 26 simply formalizes an existing policy, but the city has argued that the cost of running such a large emergency shelter is not aligned with the zero-bedroom rate set by HUD. A spokesperson for DHHS declined to answer questions about the filing because it is an active legal matter. The agency has not filed any responses in court. THREE COUNTS The city's complaint outlines three requests. First, it asks that the courts overturn the adoption of Rule 26 because it should have been brought before the Legislature as a substantive policy change, rather than an internal hearing. "If they adjusted schedules, that would be fair for the agency to decide. But this is more than that," Dion said. "It should have gone to the Legislature. This was more than just a housekeeping rule." Dion argues that Portland has been substantially impacted by the rule change, especially when it comes to its budget and ability to provide shelter services. The newly proposed city budget accounts for $12 million in state and federal funding cuts, including the General Assistance reimbursement changes resulting from Rule 26. A draft budget presented by City Manager Danielle West proposes closing that gap by pulling $8.8 million from the city's rainy day fund, while still raising taxes by 6.2%. Without the rainy day funds, city leaders said the tax rate could have increased by 15.1% The complaint also asks for a temporary injunction to prevent the rule from applying to Portland. And it seeks to overturn a violation issued to the city in the fall that says its reported operating costs for the city shelter were too high. Dion said the City Council unanimously decided to pursue legal action against the state after meeting with the city's lawyer, Michael Goldman, in executive session last month. He said the session was focused simply on fighting to overturn the violation, but that the council ultimately agreed the city has legal ground to fight the rule change in court. "This is a very serious decision, but the state's actions have placed us in a very precarious position as far as the budget is concerned," said Dion. He plans to continue to petition the Legislature for more GA funding even as the case unfolds in court. "I think most everyone has come to the conclusion that we are a service center city that, for all sorts of reasons, finds itself trying to discharge a state responsibility — so it's a fair expectation that we get adequate funding from the state to carry out that responsibility," he said. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Portland leaders frustrated over potential funding changes for immigrants
Feb. 18—Portland city leaders are imploring the state and surrounding municipalities to help provide social services for asylum seekers and refugees, warning that pending changes to state and federal funding could result in a critical lack of resources. Maine's Department of Health and Human Services put forth a new rule late last year that would slash General Assistance reimbursement for emergency shelter expenses in Portland. Weeks later, Gov. Janet Mills proposed limiting the use of General Assistance for housing to only three months in any 12-month period. Then, a memo issued about two weeks ago from the U.S. Department of State was sent to refugee resettlement agencies in Maine informing them that federal reimbursement would no longer be available for aid provided to refugee families during their first 90 days in the country, which includes short-term housing and food assistance. The changes have Portland leaders worried there will be less state and federal support to help those coming to the city in need of housing and other assistance. "I'm frustrated. I'm angry. I'm concerned. Because there is no plan," Portland Mayor Mark Dion said in a phone interview this week. "It seems like every level of government wants to pass the responsibility along in order to preserve their budgets." Between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31, Catholic Charities reported that 332 refugees arrived in Maine, most of whom went to Lewiston or Portland. They reported that 16 asylum seekers arrived in the state during that same time period. Refugees and asylum seekers have distinct legal statuses. A refugee is someone who has already been granted protection before entering the country. An asylum seeker is a person who has applied for refuge but is still waiting for a decision on their claim. Refugees are not subject to the same waiting period for work as asylum seekers, who sometimes need more services when they first enter the country because they cannot legally work. Advocates in Portland say that many programs in the city serve both communities and that it remains unclear exactly how this directive will impact services for both groups. Portland relies on state General Assistance to provide nightly shelter to hundreds of people, many of them asylum seekers, but the city also leans on nonprofits to fill in the gaps that it cannot cover. And many of those organizations count on federal grants. Should these crucial federal and state supports vanish, advocates say, it could leave Portland in a crisis. As the city begins crafting its next budget, Dion said he doesn't want to ask for more from Portland taxpayers, but unless the state and federal governments step up refugees, asylum seekers and homeless Portlanders could find themselves in dire straights. City councilors are worried about the ripple effects, too. "If we don't have federal or state funding we are absolutely going to have to get creative with how we bring revenue in at the city level. If these revenue streams dry up and go away, are we going to have to look at different tax relief programs or fees? We have to get really creative in the things that we can control," Councilor April Fournier said. The governor's office did not respond to questions about Mills' proposal to scale back General Assistance funding. 'A RECIPE FOR DISASTER' The state's proposed General Assistance reimbursement cuts are still pending. The governor's proposal to limit housing support to three months was cut out of the supplemental budget that was approved on the House and Senate floor this week, but Republicans are fighting to put it back in. It could also be included in the biennial budget, which must pass by July 1. The State Department directive, meanwhile, has been temporarily halted by a federal judge, but agencies in Portland say there is widespread confusion and that they haven't been able to access all of their funding. Danny Muller, acting director of the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, said federal dollars that the organization counts on for paying staff seemed to be frozen and were still inaccessible as of Wednesday, though he wasn't sure if the funds were frozen because of the directive or an unrelated delay. Mufalo Chitam, executive director of Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, also worries what this could mean for her organization. "Having cuts coming in at both the federal and state level is really a recipe for disaster," she said. Chitam said her organization is not directly impacted by the State Department directive, but that many of the immigrants they serve are at risk of losing housing as a result of it. And those funding cuts, paired with the federal crackdown on immigration, have created a difficult climate for immigrants in Portland, she said. "People are afraid they will be deported, then they can't go out to find jobs because they are afraid of being picked up. There are so many things happening at the same time," she said. COUNCIL ACTION Fournier said she is worried that slashing services for refugees could put a strain on the city's shelter system. When the city's homeless services center first opened in Riverside, it was primarily occupied by asylum seekers and refugees, prompting Portland to work with the state to open a separate shelter exclusively for asylum seekers. Fournier said if refugees lose housing en masse, she worries that history may repeat itself — only this time, there is no more funding to build another new shelter. Councilor Ben Grant said he thinks it's too early to panic. "I don't think the city can pick up the slack if all these things happen at once, but it's important for us to be patient," he said. During a recent city budget workshop, Finance Director Brendan O'Connell projected that taxes could go up between 3.2% and 7% in the upcoming fiscal year — in line with recent years' increases, despite the state's potential General Assistance cuts and increased spending by the city. Councilor Wes Pelletier said continuing to provide social services is a priority as the council works to craft a new budget. "We are waiting to see exactly the situation that is going to be ahead of us, but I am going to do everything I can to make sure we are not leaving people to starve and be homeless any more than they already are," he said. Councilor Kate Sykes said she has talked to other councilors about what to do about potential cuts to refugee services but declined to be specific because the council has not reached a consensus on how to address the executive orders and proposed state funding cuts. But she said she shares Dion's frustration that the city's social services network will likely be disrupted. "Portland has done our part. We've built a system that works," she said. "There is an ecosystem that is in balance right now. This is disrupting that balance." Sykes said she would like to convene a statewide task force to come up with ways to address the fallout from the state and federal funding cuts. "If we don't figure this out, we could have a humanitarian crisis on our hands," she said. Dion said he hopes to put a resolution before the council to implore the state government to step up and not to cut General Assistance reimbursement. "We need to be real and candid about the fact that poverty exists in Maine, and it appears from these budget initiatives at the federal and state level that we will be left to handle it alone," he said. Copy the Story Link
