Members of Lewiston Housing and a coalition of social service providers are rushing to finalize a proposal for a low barrier, 24/7 emergency homeless shelter in the city. According to the Portland Press Herald, the plan needs to be submitted to MaineHousing by May 15 in order to receive a $3.7 million grant that would cover the cost of the temporary 25-bed shelter’s renovation and operations.

If the plan is approved by the city, MaineHousing requires that the shelter be fully operational by October.

The shelter, which will be referred to as the Lewiston Unhoused Response Center, will occupy the former location of the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Around 80% of the grant will go towards operational costs, but the building is also in need of repair and modification to meet city code requirements and to better accommodate the people it will serve.

Numerous organizations have signed on to provide services through the shelter including the Immigrant Resource Center, Lewiston Housing, Community Concepts, and Community Clinical Services. These services include counseling, case management, longer term housing solutions, service coordination, and general management of the shelter.

The funding for the shelter is a temporary, two-year grant that is a portion of the $21 million in emergency relief that went to MaineHousing to aid in the homelessness crisis. Lewiston Housing Executive Director Chris Kilmurry says the shelter’s purpose is to provide immediate aid for the city’s homeless population and any long-term plans are for the city and the public to decide.