Immigrants Arriving at the Portland Expo Several Weeks Ago.

There are currently 292 immigrants housed at the Portland Expo according to the city’s spokeswoman, Jessica Grondin. as of today.   They arrived in Portland from the southern Texas border and have been warehoused there since. The Expo is used for basketball games as well as a place of voting – this fall.

Countless businesses and individuals have stepped up to alleviate the financial strains of the city for this unanticipated “crises” as city manager Jon Jennings has referred to the situation.  However, permanent housing for them has not been arranged as of now.  Those “discussions” are currently “ongoing” emailed ‘Grondin to mhn.com

“There simply aren’t any vacant apartments in Portland right now.  ‘This is the unfortunate reality.  I know many landlords who are willing to help, but obviously cannot displace existing tenants with leases in place.  In the long-term, we must prioritize development of affordable  housing with tax credits and housing bonds at the Federal, State and local level.  The short-term solution is much more challenging. I have a few meetings tomorrow in which I am hoping to better understand the situation and I will get back to you if I have any further thoughts,” wrote developer Jonathan Culley, Redfern Properties,  in an email today.

The Southern Maine Landlord Association has not responded to an inquiry from mhn.com.