NOVEL IDEA FOR THE HOMELESS: GIVE THEM A HOME

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DAVID HENCH, PORTLAND PRESS HERALD A recently released survey of
Portland's homeless population shows a decline for the third straight
year in the number of chronically homeless people, those who often
absorb a disproportionate share of resources from the city and social-
service agencies. Advocates for the homeless say the improvement is
directly related to the availability of Logan Place, which provides 30
apartments to men who had been homeless repeatedly or for long periods,
and to greater access to housing in a softening rental market.
Beyond the reduction in shelter use, getting people into stable homes
provides dramatic benefits to people's quality of life, and that pays
dividends for society, said Mark Swann, executive director of the Preble
Street Resource Center, which helped conduct the survey. . .

The Point-in-Time Survey of Homelessness, which gathers information from
the people staying in city shelters, makeshift camps and in their cars,
found that just 19 percent of those people were considered chronically
homeless, down from 37 percent in 2004.
City statistics show a decline in the use of Portland shelters overall
for the past two years -- Logan Place opened in 2005 -- after increasing
steadily between 1997 and 2005. . .

"There are only 30 people" at Logan Place, he said, "but they were
responsible for over 6,000 bed nights in shelters the previous year.". .
.

An analysis done with the University of New England showed that
residents of Logan Place used ambulances 71 percent less than the year
before they moved in; showed a 74 percent decrease in emergency room
visits; had a 70 percent decrease in police contacts; and had an 88
percent decrease in jail time, Swann said.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story_pf.php?id=135159&ac=PHnws

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