state grants

Millions of dollars were given to several different agencies across the state to fund long-term solutions to homelessness.MaineHousing awarded $7.7 million from Maine’s Emergency Housing Relief Fund to 22 different agencies. MaineHousing to finance homeless solutions in Maine.From permanent shelters and supportive housing units to legal services and prevention support, the money will help people of all ages get off the streets. Kaydenz Kitchen, which currently runs an emergency warming center in Lewiston, is one of the many organizations receiving grant money. The $2.5 million they received will go towards a 24/7 permanent shelter. “The city has shown repeatedly over the past year just how much it cares, and the establishment of a permanent shelter is yet another example of that,” said Erik Jorgensen of MaineHousing. The new facility will help people find their own housing and connect them to service providers. “To have the opportunity to be awarded $2.5 million to really change the dynamics of homelessness in our community and have a lasting impact is something that we never imagined but are extremely grateful for,” said Kevin Boilard, president of Kaydenz Kitchen.In Lewiston, the plans for a long-term shelter have been a long time coming.”We spent the three years working up to the opportunity,” Boilard said. “For that opportunity to actually be a reality, you know, just kind of hit some of those emotional buttons.”The grant was announced in Lewiston during a tour of the warming center that Kaydenz Kitchen currently runs. It’s one of the sites of last year’s mass shooting. “Nothing will ever fully heal the pain that I know, most of, many of you in this town are still feeling, but it’s changes like this that will move Lewiston and the state forward,” Jorgensen said.Kaydenz Kitchen said the permanent shelter should be up and running by Sept. 1 of next year.