Hundreds of Maine households impacted by ICE surge have been seeking rental assistance
Published by Maine Public | by Nicole Ogrysko
Fearing a rise in evictions, several groups around Maine are providing help to immigrant households feeling economic effects from the federal enforcement surge in January.
The Portland-based non-profit Project HOME has been providing rental assistance to households who had a family member detained by immigration agents or were afraid to leave their homes during the surge and lost work. Those households are struggling to make rent or mortgage payments.
About 230 households received rental assistance; another 800 are on a Project HOME waiting list, said Lucas Schrage, director of housing initiatives.
"They still don't have work or they still don't find it safe to go work," he said. "They still haven't found child care, or, in the cases of those who have been directly impacted by a detention, all of their funds have been diverted to help rectify that and get their loved ones back."
