PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine’s first state-funded halfway house for young men leaving juvenile detention is scheduled to open in Portland in March.

The building will house up to six men ages 18 to 21 who are leaving the state’s juvenile jail in South Portland.

The project was originally planned for Westbrook but was blocked by city officials after complaints from neighbors of the proposed site.

The nonprofit Opportunity Alliance will run the program, which is funded by the Department of Corrections.

Officials say the goal is to provide a safe home for the newly released young men and reduce the chances that they will commit other crimes.