NEWS | Biddeford and Saco will receive free support to address homelessness issues

Two years ago, city leaders in Biddeford and Saco spent $20,000 for a white-paper report about how to address the issues of homelessness. The problem has grown since then. Will we see tangible results this time?

SUBMITTED STORY | City of Biddeford

The cities of Biddeford and Saco have been selected for the 2026 Homeless Response Peer Network, a national program of the Housing Solutions Lab at New York University’s Furman Center that will provide the two cities with free technical assistance, research-driven housing and policy expertise and access to proven approaches from across the country to strengthen their regional response to homelessness.

A GROWING REGIONAL ISSUE | City leaders in Biddeford and Saco last year spent $20,000 for a white-paper report about how to address the issues of homelessness. The problem has grown since then. In this June 2026 file photo, a homeless man sleeps in the doorway of a Main Street business. | *Biddeford Gazette file photo by Randy Seaver*

The joint Biddeford-Saco team is one of only seven selected from applicants across the country and the only team from Maine in the 2026 cohort. This is also only the second time a Maine municipality has participated in the program.

“Biddeford and Saco have increasingly recognized that homelessness is a regional challenge that requires regional leadership,” said Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain. “Being selected for this peer network reflects the work already happening in our two cities and gives us direct access, at no cost to our municipalities, to the research, expertise, and technical assistance of a leading university.

“This partnership will help us bring national best practices home and strengthen our response to homelessness across southern Maine.”

“Biddeford and Saco have
increasingly recognized
that homelessness is
a regional challenge.”
— Mayor Liam LaFountain

The Homeless Response Peer Network will convene municipal housing, homelessness, and development leaders to explore stronger partnerships across systems.

**FORMER UNHOUSED ENCAMPMENT** | Following increased public complaints last year, the city of Biddeford cleared out an encampment of unhoused residents on Water Street in Biddeford | *Biddeford Gazette File Photo by Randy Seaver*

Biddeford and Saco will participate in six monthly sessions from September 2026 through February 2027, supplemented by technical assistance from the Housing Solutions Lab and opportunities to learn directly from other selected municipalities.

“Local leaders are under immense pressure to do more with fewer resources as homelessness rises across the country,” said Jess Wunsch, director of City Engagement for the Housing Solutions Lab. “This Peer Network gives these seven communities the space, tools, and national expertise needed to identify existing gaps and build more resilient, high-impact homeless response systems.”

For Biddeford and Saco, that national support will strengthen a regional partnership already taking shape between the two neighboring cities.

“Saco and Biddeford have shown that neighboring municipalities can lead together on challenges that do not stop at a city line,” said Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail. “This national recognition is an opportunity to build on that leadership.”

The opportunity was identified by Jake Hammer, Biddeford’s General Assistance supervisor, who led the application process and helped develop the joint proposal.

“General Assistance staff see firsthand how homelessness intersects with housing, income, health, transportation, and access to services,” Hammer said. “We recognized that this was an opportunity to bring significant outside expertise and technical assistance to our cities without adding costs to local taxpayers. Approaching the application jointly also reflects the reality that Biddeford and Saco serve many of the same people and work alongside many of the same organizations. I am excited to see what we can learn and bring back to our region.”

**AN ISSUE IN PLAIN VIEW** | In this 2024 file photo, A woman sleeps in a bus stop shelter on Alfred Street in Biddeford | *Photo by Randy Seaver*

Local service providers also welcomed the selection and the additional expertise it will bring to the region.

“Biddeford and Saco deserve recognition for their leadership and their understanding that addressing homelessness requires collaboration,” said Carter Friend, CEO of York County Community Action Corporation. “Municipal leadership, university expertise and the experience of organizations working directly with people facing housing instability all have an important role.

“We are excited to see this investment in our region and look forward to supporting both cities and sharing our expertise as they put what they learn into practice.”

““We are excited to see this
investment in our region.”
— Carter Friend, York County Community Action

The Housing Solutions Lab is housed within the NYU Furman Center, a joint initiative of the NYU School of Law and Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

The Lab works with local governments to develop evidence-based responses to housing challenges by connecting municipal leaders with university research, data, policy expertise, technical assistance and lessons from cities across the country.

Support for the Housing Solutions Lab is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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