Penobscot County Cares: With cold weather approaching and far too many individuals & families unhoused, relatively little has changed since last winter or the one before. Not nearly enough action has been taken by government officials to safeguard some of the most vulnerable among us.

As most people know, there's a serious lack of affordable housing in Bangor and throughout the region. There is also a shortage of shelter space. Additionally, many individuals who are unhoused cannot or will not stay in a traditional congregate shelter, due to mental illness, substance use disorder, fear, being banned or other reasons.

Due to the inability of elected officials and others to act with a sense of urgency and coalesce around proven ideas and feasible strategies, hundreds of unhoused people in our region, including children, will once again face a winter of choices & challenges most of us wouldn't want to contemplate.

It's hoped many people will join a discussion about homelessness during the next meeting of Penobscot County Cares, scheduled for Thursday, September 21st, from 4:00-5:00.

Meetings are held every other Thursday using this link.