PORTLAND (AP) — On the same day a new city ordinance gives panhandlers the boot from median strips, officials in the Maine city of Portland are touting ongoing efforts aimed at giving homeless people a helping hand.
Mayor Michael Brennan and representatives from the city and housing and social service agencies are holding a press conference Thursday to highlight initiatives designed to reduce homelessness under the city’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.
The plan has seven strategies, with a focus on affordable housing.
Thursday is also the first day a new city ordinance goes into effect that bans loitering on median strips on city streets. The ordinance doesn’t mention panhandling, but it was passed in response to public safety concerns with people standing on median strips looking for roadside handouts.
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