Officials in Augusta, Maine, Tell Property Owners They May Let Homeless People Camp on Their Property
The city of Augusta, Maine, which does not allow camping on city property, has recently reminded its residents that they may offer (if they choose) space for homeless individuals to camp out on.
According to an article in the Kennebec Journal, the city has been grappling with what to do with a handful of homeless residents since the close of the seasonal warming shelters.
City officials say in the article that, for whatever reason, there are roughly twenty people in the city who have still not found a place to stay or a shelter to take them
While the city of Augusta continues to work on finding a solution for the ongoing problem, they reminded people at a recent City Council meeting that property owners in the city of Augusta may welcome homeless residents to camp on their private property.
Though there is a bit of a catch.
According to city ordinance, a person cannot 'camp out' or stay on another person's property for more than 120 consecutive days, the KJ reported in its article. That equates to roughly three months of time before someone would lawfully have to leave.
And, while Bread of Life Ministries is currently under contract to build a new 18-bed homeless shelter in Augusta, according to the KJ, that is going to take a fair amount of time.
The new shelter will be a low-barrier shelter, the newspaper reported. That means it is easier for people with criminal records or a history of sex crimes to get into the shelter.
In the meantime, the city of Augusta and its officials are working on brainstorming ways the city can accommodate the needs of the homeless population.