Success in York County

When Josee enrolled in Biddeford, she had recently arrived in Maine with her eight children from Rwanda. At her intake, Josee indicated that she was eager to learn English and staff helped her enroll at Biddeford Adult Education. As a recent refugee she was also referred to Project GEAR (Growing Employment Access for Refugees) through Catholic Charities and assigned a GEAR Specialist. A few months ago, Josee was faced with eviction as the property owner planned to renovate her building and increase the rent. Staff helped her apply to area subsidized housing agencies and referred her to Maine Equal Justice and Pine Tree Legal for legal aid and advocacy. Josee searched for housing but had difficulty finding suitable housing due to her family size and the limited availability of housing in Southern Maine. On the day the family was evicted, Josee contacted staff informing them that some of her family’s belongings remained in the apartment. Staff contacted the property owner who provided some more time for the family to retrieve their belongings. With help from York County Community Action, Josee was able to rent a U-Haul truck and a storage unit. Staff then helped Josee to retrieve her family’s belongings and put them into storage.

After putting their belongings in storage, Josee and her children spent the night at an area family shelter, but they were asked to leave the following night. Josee called her GEAR Specialist who picked up the family and brought them to a hotel in a neighboring town. The following day, a team meeting was held made up of Families Forward staff, the GEAR Specialist, the family’s case manager from Gateway Community Services and a Regional Planner from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The team devised a plan to help the family. Families Forward staff went to the Biddeford food pantry and brought five boxes of food to the family at the hotel. Maine Equal Justice was contacted regarding the family’s eviction and removal from the shelter. The GEAR Specialist helped Josee access rent relief funds so the family could stay in the hotel for a few weeks. After their hotel stay, Josee and her children moved in with a family member and Josee got a job in a residential health facility working weekends. When Biddeford staff reached out to their peers across the state asking if they knew of any housing opportunities for a family of nine, a Program Manager recommended a property management company in Lewiston. The family secured a four-bedroom apartment in Lewiston, and they will be moving in soon.