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According to a 2022 survey published by the Maine State Housing Authority, the tightening housing market and lingering impacts of the pandemic have caused the number of people experiencing homelessness to rise. To help meet the overwhelming need in several Maine counties, Tedford Housing, a Brunswick-based nonprofit, provides emergency housing and support services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. It is the only provider of emergency shelter for adults and families between Portland and Rockland, serving Northern Cumberland, Sagadahoc, and Lincoln Counties.
Tedford Housing only has capacity for 16 adults and six families at any given time. In 2023, the organization was forced to turn away 463 adults and 139 families, but a critical capital campaign—which is already underway—hopes to change that. Tedford Housing is planning to build a new home which will increase its emergency shelter capacity by 60% and massively improve ADA accessibility, as well as proximity to services like healthcare and transportation.
The new location will also house a commercial kitchen, which will provide for the first time an appropriate space to support the nutritional needs of its guests. This will include providing three meals daily to 24 individual adults. The kitchen may also offer opportunities for guests to assist with cooking, leading to the development of skills to support the maintenance of stable housing and good health after they move on from Tedford.
With over half of its $8.3 million fundraising goal already raised, Tedford Housing is getting close to securing the $6 million needed to set a groundbreaking date for the new facility. If your credit union is interested in supporting Tedford Housing’s capital campaign, please contact Executive Director Andrew Lardie via email at andrew@tedfordhousing.org or by phone at 207-729-1161 ext. 102. The organization hopes that with the help of community partners, it can begin building the shelter next year and have it operational in 2025.
For more information on Tedford Housing’s capital campaign, please click here.