Mariam arrived in Maine from Djibouti with her four children with no money, no job, and nowhere to stay. She was literally starting over again from scratch. They stayed in a Portland shelter and then a hotel before eventually renting a market-rate apartment in the city. But the rent was barely affordable for Mariam, and

In March 2023, Kayla and her 4-year-old son became unhoused. They couched surfed for a bit before moving into her sister’s home in Waterboro. Kayla took a job at Starbuck’s in Windham – the 5 a.m. shift, the only one available – and spent most of her free time commuting, with little left for her

When Pedro and Alice first came to Portland with their family, they stayed at the city’s family shelter and spent much of their free time walking around the Bayside neighborhood. “We would say to each other, ‘This is a great neighborhood. Hopefully one day, we can live here,’” Pedro said. The couple arrived in Maine

When Alain was told he and his family had a new home with Avesta Housing, he was so excited, he couldn’t wait to move in. So he called a friend and asked him to take him to Walmart so he could buy an inflatable mattress and sleep there that very night. “I told my wife,