Yarmouth Compassionate Housing Initiative Joins Forces with the New Mainers Assistance Program

YCHI joins NMAP

The Yarmouth Compassionate Housing Initiative (YCHI) has joined forces with New Mainers Assistance Program (NMAP) to consolidate efforts that support New Mainers both with housing and other needs.

YCHI was founded in 2015 in response to the temporary housing shortage, due to the influx of asylum seekers in Portland. St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, First Universalist Church Yarmouth, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints collaborated on this effort. We partnered with the City of Portland, Chestnut Street Family Shelter and Maine Medical Center to house families and mothers with newborns who could not be adequately housed through the shelter. From 2015 to 2020, over 50 families (well over 150 individuals) were housed with families living in Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, and Cumberland. We provided a welcoming sanctuary for families while connecting them to resources to support their health and wellbeing. Once housing became available, families were transitioned to apartments or rooms at the Chestnut Street Family Shelter. YCHI followed families into permanent housing, ensuring that homes were furnished, and other material needs were provided for. Relationships have continued with those who chose to stay in Maine and even with some who have moved outside of Maine.

YCHI expanded to include ESL classes at the Merrill Memorial Library and Mother’s Circles at the Chestnut Street Family shelter in partnership with Birth Roots. YCHI partnered with First Universalist Church Yarmouth to develop housing for four single adults in the former church parsonage. YCHI also provided leadership during the mass influx of asylum seekers in 2018 at the Portland Expo, partnering with MIRC, GPCOG and others to help communities stand up temporary housing efforts across Maine. As COVID-19 took hold, YCHI ensured that families had the essentials to protect against the virus including access to masks, thermometers, testing and vaccines.

NMAP has stepped into this space to consider long term housing strategies for this latest wave of new arrivals. YCHI joins in this effort, maintaining the YCHI name and working under the 501c3 status of NMAP. We will continue to support new arrivals and are excited about this collaboration.

Carla Hunt and Peter Sillin have joined the NMAP Board of Directors, to will continue to expand upon the work of both YCHI and NMAP, along with NMAP board members Rachel Houlihan (Executive Director), Grace Tezo and Michael Burgmaier.