Auburn official says city has ‘exhausted all possibilities’ to host state-funded overnight warming shelter

AUBURN — Hopes for a state-funded warming shelter in Auburn are likely dashed after the First Universalist Church of Auburn turned down a last-minute city proposal to host it.

After Auburn’s initial proposal to have a shelter on Mill Street was scrapped, church officials said they were approached by the city Tuesday about the possibility of hosting the shelter at the church on Pleasant Street. But, with the state planning to announce its full slate of shelters Friday, church leaders were left with two days to decide.

In a news release Thursday, Auburn officials said they had been working for weeks to identify a suitable site for a temporary shelter. Glen Holmes, director of business and community development, said the city has “exhausted all of our possibilities at this point.”

Auburn was one of 17 applicants received by MaineHousing seeking a some of the $21 million available through LD 3, the $473 million emergency energy relief bill passed last month by the Legislature to address the homelessness crisis.

Steve Wallace, CEO of YMCA Auburn-Lewiston in Auburn, greets people Feb. 3 as they board a bus at the Pleasant Street Drop-In Center in Auburn to go to The Warming Center on Valerie Circle. City ordinances did not allow The Warming Center to provide sleeping arrangements, but guests were free to bring their sleeping pads and blankets. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal file

On Wednesday night, Anne Perron, board president of the First Universalist Church of Auburn, sent a notice to the congregation that it would not be hosting the shelter.

“Because we are in such a fragile time and the timeline too rushed for research of what this truly means, what the impact would be to our space and congregation, and too rushed for a congregational conversation about this, we have decided not to do that at this time,” she said. “We hope the city plans better in the future. I hope you all know that this decision was a difficult and sad one.”

The church has been operating a drop-in center offering services to homeless individuals.

Holmes said Thursday that the city’s initial plan of hosting the shelter at city property at 121 Mill St. simply “couldn’t be ready in time.”

“After consulting with local and state officials regarding the amount of rehabilitation required to gain occupancy approval for this facility, it was deemed too costly by the Maine State Housing Authority and would take too long to complete the necessary renovations,” the city’s news release said.

“We have been working with community partners for a few months now in hopes of finding a suitable site for a city-supported warming center,” Holmes said. “We are appreciative of the generous support we have received, and the consideration given to our proposals. However, many of these organizations have concerns and/or scheduling issues which have prohibited them from being able to dedicate their space for an extended period.”

In the statement, Mayor Jason Levesque said the recent 48-hour warming center at the Auburn Housing Authority’s Family Development Center showed a similar center in Auburn is “feasible,” but he said attendance was “lower than we anticipated, most likely because location and transportation remain obstacles.”

“It has been a challenge to find a suitable location close to the services that the unhoused need on a regular basis,” he said.

The state funding from MaineHousing is meant for short-term overnight facilities, with the shelters only operating through April. While Auburn’s zoning generally does not allow for homeless shelters, warming centers — where people can spend the night but without a bed or cot — are allowed.