AUGUSTA — MaineHousing has awarded $2 million to seven school districts as part of the Student Homelessness Prevention Program, aiming to connect students and families facing housing instability with services and supports that can help keep children in school.
Funding targets housing support inside schools
The grants were distributed to school systems in Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Biddeford, Lewiston, RSU 1 and Ellsworth. MaineHousing says the program serves nearly 1,300 students and their families who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness.
According to MaineHousing, the funds are being used to hire or retain housing specialists, provide housing stability services and in some cases to offer direct financial assistance to families. Award amounts to individual districts ranged from as little as $18,000 up to $800,000, though the agency did not publish a district-by-district breakdown in the announcement.
| School District | Award (reported) |
|---|---|
| Portland | Amount not specified in release |
| South Portland | Amount not specified in release |
| Cape Elizabeth | Amount not specified in release |
| Biddeford | Amount not specified in release |
| Lewiston | Amount not specified in release |
| RSU 1 | Amount not specified in release |
| Ellsworth | Amount not specified in release |
District officials describe classroom impact
Local educators described how unstable housing can undermine learning. In Biddeford, Assistant Superintendent Chris Indorf said frequent moves and housing loss contribute to a pattern in which many children who begin kindergarten in the district do not graduate there.
“Kids who aren’t securely housed, kids who are couch-surfing, kids who are living in the back of U-Haul or back of their car in a Walmart parking lot may come to school to be warm, to be loved, to be fed. But there’s not a lot of learning taking place because their brain is in survival mode,” Indorf said.
Indorf said this is the second year Biddeford has participated in the program. School staff and housing navigators work together to stabilize families, he said, helping to remove a major barrier to students’ academic progress.
Tara Rivera, director of the Biddeford Middle School Welcome Center, said the district has seen measurable progress among families served during the first year of funding and described close collaboration with housing navigators.
“It is wonderful to see we have such a great partnership with our housing navigators. They share with us the success of our families and the families also circle back with us and are really happy to celebrate when they do have a new home to call their own in our town,” Rivera said.
How the program works and what it means locally
The Student Homelessness Prevention Program is designed to embed housing services within school systems so that families can get help where they already spend time. That includes hiring staff who can connect families to housing resources, help them with applications, coordinate with local service providers, and in some situations provide short-term financial assistance to prevent evictions or pay moving-related costs.
For districts, the program offers a way to address a nonacademic barrier that has direct academic consequences. Educators say when children experience housing stability, attendance and engagement typically improve, which can lead to better long-term outcomes.
- Seven districts received shares of the $2 million award.
- The program serves nearly 1,300 students and their families statewide.
- Award amounts to districts ranged from $18,000 to $800,000, according to MaineHousing.
What remains unclear
MaineHousing has not released a detailed, public accounting showing the precise amount each district received or the specific services funded with each award. Districts such as Biddeford have reported positive early results, but statewide data on long-term outcomes—such as reductions in homelessness, improvements in attendance or graduation rates tied directly to these grants—was not included in the announcement.
School systems and advocates say the funding is one piece of a broader response to housing instability in Maine, where high housing costs in parts of the state have pushed some families to relocate or live in temporary situations. Administrators note that sustaining the work will likely require ongoing resources and collaboration with housing providers, social services and municipal governments.
State officials and local districts said the program will continue to focus on immediate housing navigation and stabilization to help students remain in school and succeed academically.
— Nora Whitfield, State Correspondent
