Portland shelters at capacity as new asylum-seekers arrive in city
Portland shelters at capacity as new asylum-seekers arrive in city
Talia Clarke Reporter
PORTLAND, Maine —As more asylum-seekers continue to arrive in Portland, city officials said its shelters are full.
City officials said about 170 asylum-seekers have arrived in Portland since last month.
Unlike the summer where the Expo was set up as an emergency shelter to house hundreds of asylum-seekers around the clock, there is no 24/7 facility available.
Asylum-seekers are being director to the city's family shelter on Chestnut Street or an overflow shelter at the YMCA.
With those shelters now full, Portland officials are reaching out to officials at the southern U.S. border where the asylum-seekers from Africa are crossing to explain the lack of resources the city currently has.
"Those who might be thinking about coming here, that if they have other opportunities or other cities they can go to, we're trying to encourage that," city spokeswoman Jessica Grondin said.
Another problem officials are seeing is asylum-seekers ill-equipped to deal with Maine's winter weather.
Many are showing up in shorts and flip-flops.
Nonprofits said they have winter clothing available to distribute to asylum-seekers.
https://www.wmtw.com/article/portlan...-city/30224785
