During a special meeting to discuss the path forward in 2026, the council created a plan to address homelessness, the need for housing, and regional cost-sharing as its three most pressing issues. However, the plan failed to adequately provide methods for achieving solutions, so seven months into the year, residents continue to feel the crisis mounting.
“While we argue about the process and personalities, the city is not getting measurably better,” resident Joe Bowman said at a recent council meeting.
Instead, the city recently allocated $95,000 to a fleet of robots that will patrol six miles daily to “measure sidewalks” and spent thousands on an LGBT sidewalk during June.
The city of Bangor appointed a new committee to address homelessness and bring together local leaders. The purpose behind the committee is to “arm the community with information”, but tangible actions remain unseen, according to some residents.
The homelessness crisis remains a hot talking point for politicians, but many feel that concrete plans or actions to address the problem haven’t been proposed. From syringe programs to temporary housing, the underlying issues, such as drug addiction, unemployment, and mental illness, remain unaddressed.
(Related: South Portland Approves Affordable Housing Development on Former Industrial Site)
The Heritage Foundation calls out the Band-Aid approach and its failure to reduce homelessness. Instead, the Foundation implores policymakers to call for “programs that pair material help with programs like job training, drug rehabilitation, and mental health treatment “
While the creation of committees and programs signals concern, it remains to be seen if the council will make a meaningful impact.
(Related: Affordability Crisis Rages While Citizens Struggle To Live)
