Northern Maine residents can stand in solidarity with people experiencing homelessness during an inaugural event called Sleep Out Aroostook.
The event will coincide with the national Point-In-Time Count on Wednesday, Jan. 22, which every year measures how many people are living without home or shelter on a single night in January. Both will be held at the Aroostook County Action Program parking lot, near Walmart in Presque Isle.
It’s the first time local housing advocates have coordinated the overnight campout in northern Maine. They were inspired by sleep-outs held by Covenant House, a national organization which tackles youth homelessness across the U.S., Canada and Latin America.
The aim is to experience a small glimpse into what unsheltered people face during a cold Aroostook winter, Presque Isle Housing Authority Homeless Response Coordinator Shelby Wilson said.
“My hope is that with an event like this, we’ll bring about some education and conversation surrounding the issues of homelessness,” Wilson said. “That’s an important part of this, as well, is making sure folks know what other folks are going through.”
The evening will start with the Point-In-Time Count from 7 to 9 p.m., she said. Coordinators from the housing authority, ACAP and Homeless Services of Aroostook will survey people experiencing homelessness and try to connect them with helpful resources.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development mandates the annual Point-In-Time Count. The Maine Continuum of Care, a group of service providers who work to help the homeless population, organizes the statewide effort.
The 2024 count identified 2,695 unsheltered people in Maine. Some said that was a flawed number because pandemic-era programs had expired, which meant fewer people reported being homeless. The total was 3,726 in 2023.
“In Aroostook County right now, we’re estimating that there are about 90 individuals [who are unsheltered] that we’ve had contact with in the past year,” she said. “We really don’t have an idea of how many individuals are still in the cold, but we hope that number has decreased as we’ve visibly seen less in the winter.”
The count is important because it reflects winter numbers and also influences funding, she said. Housing and Urban Development provides money based on the area’s homeless count and what housing organizations say they need to get people off the street.
“Aroostook County, like many regions, is not immune to the harsh reality of homelessness,” ACAP Chief Program Officer Heidi Rackliffe said in a press release from MaineHousing about the Presque Isle events. “It’s crucial that we, as a community, take action to raise awareness about this pressing issue — there is no better time to do so than during the nation’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count.”
The sleep out will take place overnight Wednesday until sunrise the next morning. It also has a twofold purpose: The community can share briefly in the homeless experience and also donate to Homeless Services of Aroostook.
All volunteers are welcome to sleep out in tents at the site, Wilson said. People who don’t want to camp out can visit and learn more. For those who wish to donate, organizers will take financial contributions or share what Homeless Services needs.
A list of needed items is also available on the organization’s website.
Wilson hopes some who have experience with homelessness will also attend to share encouragement.
“We want individuals who maybe have prior experience with homelessness to feel like they can have a moment to extend a hand to someone else and give back in the way that they have received,” she said.
