Candidates get earful at homeless shelter

Pat Steffens overcame her nerves and stood up in front of the gubernatorial candidates.

"How can you live on $603 a month? How do you get housing, have lights and heat?" asked Steffens, a former hairdresser who is disabled and living at Portland's Oxford Street Homeless Shelter.

The short answer from four candidates during a breakfast forum on Friday morning: You can't.

Each of the candidates, meeting at the Preble Street social service agency in Portland, pledged more help for Maine's least fortunate families and individuals.

Close to 100 people attended the question-and-answer session arranged by the Preble Street Consumer Advocacy Project and Homeless Voices for Justice initiative. Most of the crowd uses services provided by Preble Street, such as the soup kitchen and job training.

Attending were Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, Green Independent Pat LaMarche, independent Barbara Merrill and independent Phillip Morris NaPier. Organizer Dee Clarke said Republican candidate Chandler Woodcock declined an invitation, prompting some boos from the crowd.

Chris Jackson, Woodcock's campaign manager, said Woodcock was meeting with voters in Winthrop on Friday morning. Jackson said Woodcock is deeply concerned about the well-being of all Mainers, including the homeless population.

Questions from the audience focused on a range of topics, from health care to affordable housing to substance abuse treatment. Overall, people wanted to know how the candidates would boost aid and services for Maine's homeless and low-income residents.

"My problem is health insurance," said Mark McForbes, who was homeless for many years and now lives in a subsidized Portland apartment. He depends on Preble Street for most of his food, but has a hard time eating because he is missing most of his teeth. McForbes cannot afford $600 for dentures.

"That happens to people who live on the street. There is a 19-year-old in here with no teeth," McForbes said. "Nutrition is important. Right now is a really hard time for a lot of people trying to eat enough food, and the right food."

All the candidates agreed the state can do more to help people who need dentures and emergency dental care.

"If you don't have teeth, we have to make sure you eat properly. We have to do a lot better than how we're doing right now," NaPier said. "A society is defined by how well we take care of those who are least able to take care of themselves."

During the event, Merrill emphasized her experience as a legal advocate for people with disabilities. She said she fought for their interests for 13 years, and they were her inspiration in 2004 when running for state representative.

In 2004, during her campaign for U.S. vice president, LaMarche traveled across the country, staying in 14 different homeless shelters in 14 nights. She said the best examples were joint efforts between public, private and religious groups. Maine will have to look to that model, LaMarche said.

Baldacci has developed a statewide Homeless Initiative. Some of his goals include boosting funding for affordable and transitional housing projects, and setting minimum standards for shelters. Nancy Fritz, the director of the Homeless Initiative, attends the governor's cabinet meetings.

"We've got to make it so you're supported and successful," Baldacci told the audience.

Estimates vary on the size of Maine's homeless population. They depend largely on counts at shelters. Advocates say the methods ignore the large number of people who drift between locations, and those in rural areas where no shelters are available. The annual Maine State Housing Authority spot survey recorded 700 people sleeping in shelters statewide one night in early January.

Fritz has estimated that up to 8,000 people in Maine will experience homelessness this year.

At Preble Street, Clarke said her program has helped more than 1,100 people register to vote in the past few years. The theme of this year's Preble Street voter registration drive is "You don't need a home to vote."

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