The number of asylum seekers is growing in Maine with hundreds staying in hotels while awaiting permanent housing in Greater Portland.

The Portland Press Herald reports that many of them made their way from the southern border from places like Angola, Congo and earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

More than 300 asylum seekers have arrived in recent weeks, representing a similar scale to the summer of 2019 when 450 migrants came to the city and the Portland Expo was converted into a temporary shelter.

A scarcity of housing is the biggest problem as local governments seek to find homes for the asylum seekers.

Surrounding communities are assisting Portland officials in lining up housing for the newcomers.