Biddeford’s Unhoused
Biddeford officials estimate there are roughly 60 unhoused people in the city.
Meal Options
Biddeford Food Pantry
162 Elm St, Biddeford
Phone: (207) 282-4771
Tuesday-Thursday 9-11am
Bon Appetit Meal Program
Second Congregational Church
19 Crescent Street, Biddeford
Phone: (207) 409-4375
Monday–Friday 4:30-5:30pm
Seeds of Hope
35 South Street, Biddeford
Phone: (207) 571-9601
Monday-Friday 9am-1pm
Brown Bag Meals Only
Saco Food Pantry
67 Ocean Park Road, Saco
Phone: (207)-468-1305
Monday–Thursday 9-10:30am
Last Tuesday 5-6:30pm
First Saturday 9-10:30am
Salvation Army food pantry
2 Sixth St., Old Orchard Beach
Phone: (207) 934-4831
Free Lunch: Tuesday & Fridays 11:30
Saco: Saco Community Meals
Location: 271 Main Street, Saco
Monday & Thursday 4:15 - 6:00 pm.
Contact: Carmen Gawronski
207-298-5812
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of unhoused students in the Biddeford and Saco school districts has increased by an alarming 400%.
During the 2022–2023 school year, more than 4,400 students in Maine were identified as being unhoused; that is more than double the number of students who experienced homelessness in the previous two years.
Limited help exists in York County for families who find themselves without a place to live, and many of them end up staying in hotels on a temporary basis. Only one 37-bed adult homeless shelter serves all 29 towns in York county. Just one shelter accepts families; it has a capacity of just 16 people.
One Couple’s Story
A gentleman in the Rotary Park Community Garden has, for the last two years, been living in a camper with his girlfriend. Some days they park the camper along the river. Some days in the driveway of his daughter’s home. The camper is inadequate; they refer to it as a lemon that they spent all of their money on.
A little history…Mr. M’s family has lived and worked in Biddeford for three generations. His grandparents owned The Puritan, a well-loved business on Main Street.
His girlfriend receives SSI disability. He was laid off from his job at Hyperlite, a company in one of Biddeford’s mills, which makes mountaineering and backpacking gear, after the company moved its manufacturing to Mexico.
Mr. M and his girlfriend want to find an apartment, but their combined monthly income amounts to only $2,700.
Mr. M spent two Saturdays volunteering at the garden and harvested some fresh vegetables to take home.
Ms. A and Ms. C
Ms. A has been unhoused since November 2023. Ms. C has been bouncing around for the last four years. Ms. C worked as a caregiver at the Biddeford Pool Nunnery before it closed down. Both women are in their 50’s. Their stories are similar and involve eviction, arrest, and conviction.
Ms. C has a felony record. She had been living in the tent city at Mechanics Park for a while. She felt comfortable there. Both women took care of their surroundings as best they could. Yes, there were issues. Most significant was the death of Ms. C’s brother. The folks there set up a small memorial. When the city evicted them, they asked if they could keep the memorial there. The city removed it.
Away from the tent city, they’ve had their belongings stolen – tents, sleeping bags, etc. Both women shared that they have Native American lineage. Penobscot/Cherokee and Mi'kmaq.
Asked if they had three wishes to improve their lives, they answered:
A place to live.
A car to get to work. They shared that it’s difficult to get a job without adequate transportation. Public transit is not adequate. Buses arrive early and sometimes late.
They want the community to ‘not look down on us.’ Or be referred to as ‘you people.’
Lack of affordable housing is a problem. There are also ongoing challenges with BRAP vouchers (Bridging Rental Assistance Program for people with severe and persistent mental illness with co-occurring substance use disorders).
The women frequently eat their evening meals at Bon Appetit Community Meals (a local soup kitchen) and access other necessities through Seeds of Hope.
Further Reading:
“Saco City Council prohibits camping in public parks” - Portland Press Herald article 10/2/24
This research was compiled as part of The Inclusive Walking Tour, which took place in Biddeford on October 27, 2024. For more information about this walk, click here.
For more research related to this area, click on the tags below. To download a hi-res version of the posters below for educational use, please contact where@atlanticblackbox.com.
This walk was a collaboration between Community Change Inc., Biddeford Saco area Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), Heart of Biddeford, the City of Biddeford, and Atlantic Black Box.