The Lewiston City Council is expected to take action Tuesday on two measures aimed to limit the number of transitional housing units in the city. The Council is expected to set a public hearing date of September 19 for a 180 day moratorium on new transitional housing in the city.The Council will also vote to change the city’s zoning code to regulate transitional housing in the same manner it regulates homeless shelters. Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline says those measures would provide an unnecessary roadblock to much needed housing in the city.”Any amendment to current zoning regulations is just going to make it more difficult for transitional housing that’s already running here in Lewiston and running successfully,” Sheline said. “We have Veterans Inc running down the street. We have New Beginnings, both long standing operations here in town, and we really need their help and support.”New Beginnings, which runs transitional housing for teenagers in Lewiston, says the regulation change could severely harm its youth outreach efforts.”This program is not a shelter – transitional living residents are tenants with leases, and requiring the same licensing and program rules as shelters does not make sense,” New Beginnings said in a statement. “Tenants have rights under state law, and this ordinance would open the city and providers to unnecessary litigation. It seems that this transitional living moratorium is being put forth to prevent or limit housing for adults at the Ramada, but it would instead mean our transitional housing for youth which has operated successfully in Lewiston for 34 years could be forced to limit beds, close, or move.”Transitional housing differs from homeless shelters in that it leases its units to tenants and acts as a go-between between homelessness and permanent housing. The measures come in response to the proposed purchase of the Ramada Inn by the Lewiston Housing Authority, which would then turn the building into transitional housing units. The Lewiston Board of Appeals last week rejected a request to lower the minimum size of a transitional housing facility, which will likely kill the project. The Inn is currently being used to house asylum seekers through November 1.Supporters of the regulations worry about the safety of neighborhoods that units are being proposed in.The Lewiston Planning Board recommended against passing the new regulations, and Mayor Sheline hopes the Council abides by it.”It’s my hope that the Council sides with the Planning Board and recognizes that amending zoning to include transitional housing is not in the best interest of our city,” Sheline said.
The Lewiston City Council is expected to take action Tuesday on two measures aimed to limit the number of transitional housing units in the city.
The Council is expected to set a public hearing date of September 19 for a 180 day moratorium on new transitional housing in the city.
The Council will also vote to change the city’s zoning code to regulate transitional housing in the same manner it regulates homeless shelters.
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline says those measures would provide an unnecessary roadblock to much needed housing in the city.
“Any amendment to current zoning regulations is just going to make it more difficult for transitional housing that’s already running here in Lewiston and running successfully,” Sheline said. “We have Veterans Inc running down the street. We have New Beginnings, both long standing operations here in town, and we really need their help and support.”
New Beginnings, which runs transitional housing for teenagers in Lewiston, says the regulation change could severely harm its youth outreach efforts.
“This program is not a shelter – transitional living residents are tenants with leases, and requiring the same licensing and program rules as shelters does not make sense,” New Beginnings said in a statement. “Tenants have rights under state law, and this ordinance would open the city and providers to unnecessary litigation. It seems that this transitional living moratorium is being put forth to prevent or limit housing for adults at the Ramada, but it would instead mean our transitional housing for youth which has operated successfully in Lewiston for 34 years could be forced to limit beds, close, or move.”
Transitional housing differs from homeless shelters in that it leases its units to tenants and acts as a go-between between homelessness and permanent housing.
The measures come in response to the proposed purchase of the Ramada Inn by the Lewiston Housing Authority, which would then turn the building into transitional housing units. The Lewiston Board of Appeals last week rejected a request to lower the minimum size of a transitional housing facility, which will likely kill the project. The Inn is currently being used to house asylum seekers through November 1.
Supporters of the regulations worry about the safety of neighborhoods that units are being proposed in.
The Lewiston Planning Board recommended against passing the new regulations, and Mayor Sheline hopes the Council abides by it.
“It’s my hope that the Council sides with the Planning Board and recognizes that amending zoning to include transitional housing is not in the best interest of our city,” Sheline said.
