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Bangor council approves Hope House lease changes as public commenters press for housing, harm-reduction action
Summary
The Bangor City Council passed an order allowing a sublease and lease amendment to expand emergency shelter capacity at the Hope House and preserve state funding, while public commenters urged alternatives to encampment sweeps and criticized local spending priorities and harm-reduction programs.
The Bangor City Council on Feb. 24 approved an order authorizing a sublease and an amendment to the city's lease for the Hope House Health and Living Center that will allow the shelter operator to expand the emergency bed capacity and preserve state funding.
The change will let Penobscot Community Health Center (PCHC) sublease the shelter space to Preble Street and authorize an adjustment to lot lines to allow an addition that increases emergency shelter beds from 66 to 70. The sublease term remains the same as the city's current ground lease with PCHC, which expires in April 2044. Councilor Holmes moved the order; a second was recorded and the item passed. Councilor Beck left the room and was recused from the matter.
The vote came amid extensive public comment focused on homelessness, substance use and downtown safety. Residents, service providers and business owners urged the council to prioritize permanent and supportive housing and criticized plans for encampment sweeps. Several speakers said the city should use data and available funding to reduce public-service costs and improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.
Why it matters: The lease amendment is tied to continued eligibility for state housing funding. Speakers at the meeting argued that investing in housing and supportive services is less costly and more effective than encampment removal and short-term responses.
Key facts and council action: The order authorizes the city manager to consent to a sublease of the shelter space at 179'181 Corporate Drive, to amend the city's ground lease with PCHC to permit construction of an addition, and to remove lease provisions inconsistent with Maine State Housing Authority (MaineHousing) 2024 funding rules. The amendment is intended to preserve MaineHousing funding that PCHC and Preble Street rely on to operate the low-barrier shelter.
Public comment highlights: Resident Colleen O'Neil criticized prior council action on a separate inclusion resolution and said attention should have gone to homelessness and economic development instead, calling the council's priorities into question. Downtown business owner James Gallagher recounted a recent safety incident and said business owners feel downtown safety is a low priority: "Last year, a customer came into Salty Brick Market wielding a machete at least 14 inches in length," Gallagher said.
Other commenters focused on health and service approaches. Resident Mike Burrow said harm-reduction efforts have not improved public-health outcomes and urged the council to reconsider spending; he said the problem "is not working" and argued the city should focus on different responses. Jay (who identified himself as a resident and cited national studies) urged the council to weigh the fiscal and human costs of encampment abatement against permanent supportive housing, saying, "History proves access to affordable housing decreases homelessness." Social worker Luke Sekara of Beetle Point Sanctuary urged a data-driven response and alternatives to sweeps: "I hope that rather than engaging in a game of whack-a-mole with future encampments ... we meet people where they're at," he said.
Context and funding: Several speakers referenced federal and state funding streams, including ARPA allocations and opioid settlement funds, and said they want public processes for distributing those dollars. City staff and the council noted the lease amendment is required to comply with recent MaineHousing funding rules; without those changes the shelter could lose essential funding.
What's next: The council approved the lease amendment and sublease consent, and the planning and lease documents will be processed by the city manager's office. The approval preserves the pathway for PCHC and Preble Street to continue operating the low-barrier shelter and to construct a small addition to increase capacity. Separately, the council accepted the 2025 Bangor Housing Study as an appendix to the comprehensive plan during the same meeting, a move proponents said will guide zoning and development strategies to support housing production.
Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the Feb. 24 public comment period and during the Hope House agenda item.
