PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Department of Transportation and the City of Portland announced Wednesday it will clear the city's most populated homeless encampment off Marginal Way at the park-and-ride lot on Nov. 1.
The move comes as Portland leaders and organizations grapple with increasing pressure to bring unhoused people to some kind of shelter as the winter months approach and the early struggles faced by the Encampment Crisis Response Team when working to help people living at the now-closed Fore River Parkway Encampment.
Over the past six months, the MaineDOT has allowed unhoused individuals to use half the lot as a temporary encampment, according to a press release from the department. With the looming deadline, MaineDOT said they alerted encampment residents by posting signage in September.
The park-and-ride lot typically offered 178 parking spots for commuters to leave their cars and carpool with friends but was divided in half on Aug. 3 to make way for the encampment. The south side of the lot has remained open with 94 spaces still available.
According to Portland city spokesperson Jessica Grondin, the park-and-ride area will be designated as an emphasis area after Nov. 1 in accordance with the city's policy on the removal of unauthorized campsites.
"The City’s Encampment Crisis Response Team (ECRT) is committed to continuing to work with unhoused individuals at the Park & Ride encampment until that date, and hope to successfully encourage as many individuals as possible to transition to emergency shelter or other housing alternatives," Grondin added.
Closing the encampment on Nov. 1 comes with the Portland Police Department (PPD) announcing it would increase presence at the encampment, citing criminal activity existing in the camp.
In a Tuesday meeting, PPD officials met with several Marginal Way business owners about their concerns with theft, drug dealing, and human trafficking.
Scott Rousseau, owner of Play it Again Sports, said he would see unhoused people beaten and drugs openly used at the encampment.
"The most vulnerable people are being preyed upon every single day," he said.
Rousseau added there are people in the encampment who need help, but crime keeps a cycle of violence that ends up hurting people.
"This encampment is not providing a safe place for our most vulnerable, it is hurting our most vulnerable," Rousseau said.
Cumberland County District Attorney Jackie Sartoris said the last two weeks saw an increase in criminal activity at the encampment, which has also continued to grow in population.
Portland police confirmed Wednesday it would also be specializing enforcement to target drug deals and human trafficking. It would also increase its presence at the encampment by two hours every day.
Last week, the Portland City Council shot down a proposal that would open up 50 more beds at their River Street homeless shelter. Prior to the vote, the proposal was met with disapproval by local organizations, who said it would lead to Portland sweeping more encampments.
In September, Portland said it offered shelter beds to homeless residents at Fore River 180 times over the summer, with only 18 people accepting the offer.
Nonprofits like Preble Street said people often refuse city-run shelters due to distrust and barriers such as mandatory sobriety and limitations on pets and partners.
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Some Portland residents have not been in favor of clearing encampments and made it known with a Sept. 15 protest at city hall. The protest was prompted by two major encampment removals in May on Bayside Bike Trail and Fore River Bike Trail, which housed nearly 100 people.
"The city and other service providers will continue to work with unhoused individuals to provide offers of housing or shelter as November 1 approaches," according to the MaineDOT release. "On November 1, Maine DOT will work with the Maine Department of Public Safety to safely and respectfully remove any remaining camps."