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Nonprofit leader warns Bangor is effectively criminalizing homelessness amid limited shelter capacity
Summary
The director of Penobscot County Cares said shelters and warming centers are full and Bangor ordinances that bar sleeping in public effectively criminalize homelessness, urging more resources and planning.
Doug Denbauer, who oversees the nonprofit Penobscot County Cares, told the Bangor City Council on March 17 that the city’s restrictions on sleeping in public plus shrinking shelter capacity are creating a de facto criminalization of homelessness.
Denbauer said Penobscot County warming centers regularly serve roughly 75 to 100 people and that some night warming centers are closing. He said local shelters and warming centers are routinely full and added that the city’s ordinance prohibiting people who are homeless from sleeping in public spaces leaves those without shelter with nowhere to legally sleep.
"In effect, homelessness is being criminalized in Bangor and other municipalities," Denbauer said, and he warned the situation will worsen without additional shelter beds, warming center capacity or coordinated planning and resources from the city, county, state and federal governments.
Denbauer described ongoing outreach efforts by Penobscot County Cares and other agencies, including a partnership to provide phones to clients through caseworkers, which he said has helped some people obtain housing. He urged councilors and staff to consider the capacity constraints as warming centers close for the season.
Councilors did not take formal action during the meeting; Denbauer’s remarks were recorded during public comment and will inform ongoing discussions among local service providers and city staff.
