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Brunswick Town Council Schedules Public Hearing on Possible Extension of Moratorium on Homeless Shelter Development for March 4, 2019

February 20, 2019 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

The Brunswick Town Council has scheduled a public hearing regarding whether or not to extend the moratorium on homeless shelter development for Monday, March 4, 2019 at 6:30pm. The public hearing will be held in the council chambers in the town hall located at 85 Union Street in Brunswick. As usual, these meetings are open to the public and available for viewing on Brunswick Cable TV3.

This public hearing is an opportunity for those with an interest in this development to attend and ensure their voice is heard regarding the possibility of an extended moratorium.

There are no specific agendas or packets posted on the town’s website for the public hearing at this time. See links below for related information.

FMI, visit the following links:

  • Times Record article (2/20/2019): Brunswick weighs another homeless shelter rules delay, would push back Tedford project further
  • Times Record Opinion article (2/14/2019): Jonathan Crimmons: Brunswick moves at a snail’s pace on homeless shelter
  • Times Record article (2/8/19): Brunswick council pushes homeless shelter rules to a third workshop
  • Times Record article (1/31/19): Debates over homeless shelter rules grind on to second council workshop, a year after Tedford first pitched expansion
  • Times Record article (1/28/19): As town council prepares to tackle shelter expansion controversy, homeless families, individuals in Brunswick seeking to get lives back on track
  • Letter to Editor: Clarifying Tedford Housing’s proposed emergency housing program
  • Brunswick Town Council meeting agenda for January 24, 2019
  • Brunswick Town Council packet for January 24, 2019 meeting
  • Packet for January 8, 2019 Planning Board meeting (with Tedford-related materials only)
  • Full packet for the January 8, 2019 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from December 11, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from November 27, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from November 13, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • FAQs on Tedford Housing Resource Center
  • Tedford’s current annual report & other stats
  • Shelter Task Force website
  • Brunswick Town Council members
  • Brunswick Planning Board members

Filed Under: News & Events Tagged With: Brunswick, Brunswick Planning Board, Brunswick Town Council, homeless shelter, homelessness, Maine, Shelter Task Force, shelter workshop, Tedford Housing, Tedford Housing Resource Center

Giving Voice: What does a comprehensive approach to homelessness look like?

February 11, 2019 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

The following article was published in The Times Record on 2/8/19 and written by Jennifer Iacovelli, Tedford Housing’s director of development.

Tedford Housing changed its name from Tedford Shelter back in 2006 in recognition of the organization’s evolution to include permanent supportive housing and related homeless prevention services. While community members still refer to us as Tedford Shelter, we take a much more comprehensive approach to homelessness than just providing beds for overnight guests (the original intent of the organization).

But what does a comprehensive approach to homelessness mean? What does it look like for an organization like Tedford Housing in the community of Brunswick, Maine?

First and foremost it is having strategies for working with the full range of people who experience homelessness. One size does not fit all when it comes to those in need of Tedford Housing’s services, which includes emergency shelter, homeless prevention, emergency heating assistance and permanent housing for previously homeless individuals and families.

Our last Giving Voice article addressed our highest priority population we now serve, the long term stayers. The long term stayers include those who have the highest barriers to finding and maintaining permanent housing and who have been in our emergency shelters the longest. Addressing the high needs of this population not only frees up beds for other people who are experiencing homelessness, but it also reduces emergency room visits, police interventions and other uses of public services.

A big piece of the puzzle in providing pathways from homelessness to home, as our mission states, is case management. Case management is at the core of all the services Tedford Housing provides. All clients are exposed to some level of case management in order to understand the causes of homelessness, to develop a housing stability plan specific to their situation and to access resources for achieving permanent and stable housing for the long term.                             

Case managers, also called housing or stability navigators, are the biggest advocates for all of Tedford Housing’s clients. They work hard to stay up to date on the ever-changing availability of and requirements for housing subsidies. They work closely with landlords and make sure their clients know exactly what resources are available to them and how to access them. They meet regularly with shelter guests to review paperwork and the steps they need to take to find housing. They help families and individuals come up with a plan to address the issues that prevent them from maintaining housing or put them at risk for losing their housing. They connect guests, tenants and clients to key resources in the community to get the services they need.

Though many people may think of Tedford Housing as helping “the homeless,” the truth is that we help individuals and families to reduce their risk of becoming homeless. The majority of Tedford Housing’s clients are only homeless for a short period of time, if they become homeless at all. Once a housing navigator helps someone attain housing, they “follow” the individual or family for up to a year with stability services in order to ensure they have everything they need to maintain housing. People need income to sustain housing. Our navigators connect clients to resources in the community like that of Workforce Solutions that offer up pathways to job training and employment. The ongoing support that case management provides dramatically reduces the risk of returning to homelessness.

Tedford Housing has a limited supply of permanent supportive housing options in Brunswick, Bath, Augusta, Lewiston and Auburn that have provided long term, stable housing to many with histories of significant barriers to stable housing. Many of our tenants have remained housed for years and are now paying market rental rates. We have enough successes under our belt to know the strategies that work and that some strategies don’t work for all clients.

Tedford Housing prides itself on being up to date on the best practices when it comes to addressing the complex issues involved with homelessness. Our key strategy remains a housing first approach – focusing on permanent housing placement in as short a time as possible coupled with case management to access community resources that can ease the transition into a life not complicated by the ongoing emergency of homelessness.

Filed Under: News & Events Tagged With: Brunswick, comprehensive approach, Giving Voice, homelessness, Jennifer Iacovelli, Maine, Tedford Housing, Times Record

Tedford Housing Board and Staff Announcements – February 2019

February 7, 2019 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

Tedford Housing’s mission is creating pathways from homelessness to home by partnering with people and their communities in Midcoast Maine. Following are recent board and staff announcements.

Board of Directors Elections

Two new members were elected to Tedford Housing’s board, including Patti Lawton and Andrew Lardie. Lawton, of Brunswick, is a REALTOR at Sotheby’s International Realty. Lardie, also of Brunswick, is associate director at Bowdoin College McKeen Center for the Common Good. In addition, board member Field Griffith, of Harpswell, was elected to treasurer.

Staff Announcements

Thessa de Hollander, of Portland, was hired as case management services coordinator. Anthony Lamarr, of Poland, was hired as supportive housing case manager for Lewiston, Auburn and Augusta.

Filed Under: News & Events Tagged With: Andrew Lardie, Anthony Lamarr, board of directors, Brunswick, Field Griffith, Maine, Patti Lawton, press release, staff, Tedford Housing, Thessa de Hollander

Brunswick Town Council Holding Second Workshop on Shelters on 2/7/19

February 5, 2019 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

The second public workshop on shelters for the Brunswick Town Council is scheduled for Thursday, February, 7 2019 at 6:30pm. The workshop will be held in the council chambers in the town hall located at 85 Union Street in Brunswick. As usual, these meetings are open to the public and available for viewing on Brunswick Cable TV3.

The council will continue to review the reports and recommendations from the Brunswick Planning Board and Shelter Task Force. There are no specific agendas or packets posted on the town’s website. See links below for related information.

FMI, visit the following links:

  • Times Record article (1/31/19): Debates over homeless shelter rules grind on to second council workshop, a year after Tedford first pitched expansion
  • Times Record article (1/28/19): As town council prepares to tackle shelter expansion controversy, homeless families, individuals in Brunswick seeking to get lives back on track
  • Letter to Editor: Clarifying Tedford Housing’s proposed emergency housing program
  • Brunswick Town Council meeting agenda for January 24, 2019
  • Brunswick Town Council packet for January 24, 2019 meeting
  • Packet for January 8, 2019 Planning Board meeting (with Tedford-related materials only)
  • Full packet for the January 8, 2019 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from December 11, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from November 27, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from November 13, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • FAQs on Tedford Housing Resource Center
  • Tedford’s current annual report & other stats
  • Shelter Task Force website
  • Brunswick Town Council members
  • Brunswick Planning Board members

Filed Under: News & Events Tagged With: Brunswick, Brunswick Planning Board, Brunswick Town Council, homeless shelter, homelessness, Maine, Shelter Task Force, shelter workshop, Tedford Housing, Tedford Housing Resource Center

Brunswick Town Council to Hold First Workshop on Shelters 1/30/19

January 28, 2019 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

While there is no specific agenda or packet posted on the Town of Brunswick website at this time, the first public workshop on shelters for the Brunswick Town Council is scheduled for Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at 6:30pm. The workshop will be held in the council chambers in the town hall located at 85 Union Street in Brunswick. These meetings are open to the public and available for viewing on Brunswick Cable TV3.

It is expected that the council will review the reports and recommendations from the Brunswick Planning Board and Shelter Task Force.

FMI, visit the following links:

  • Letter to Editor: Clarifying Tedford Housing’s proposed emergency housing program
  • Brunswick Town Council meeting agenda for January 24, 2019
  • Brunswick Town Council packet for January 24, 2019 meeting
  • Packet for January 8, 2019 Planning Board meeting (with Tedford-related materials only)
  • Full packet for the January 8, 2019 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from December 11, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from November 27, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • Packet from November 13, 2018 Planning Board meeting
  • FAQs on Tedford Housing Resource Center
  • Tedford’s current annual report & other stats
  • Shelter Task Force website
  • Brunswick Town Council members
  • Brunswick Planning Board members

Filed Under: News & Events Tagged With: Brunswick, Brunswick Planning Board, Brunswick Town Council, homeless shelter, homelessness, Maine, Shelter Task Force, shelter workshop, Tedford Housing, Tedford Housing Resource Center

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