ILAP Testimony in Support of Preble Street's Wellness Shelter

Testimony of Susan Roche, Executive Director of Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
Before the Portland Planning Board
In support of Preble Street’s Conditional Use Application

“My name is Susan Roche and I am the executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. ILAP is a statewide immigration legal services organization. We assist over 5,000 people each year, helping them gain legal status and work authorization. Our main office is based in Portland and a majority of our clients reside in Portland.

I am here to testify in support of Preble Street’s conditional use application to create a new 24/7 Wellness Shelter. Many ILAP clients are among those in Portland who rely upon Preble Street for help when they find themselves experiencing homelessness. During this public health emergency, their circumstances are even more dire. Now more than ever we must make sure that everyone in Portland has a safe place to go when they need shelter.

Besides ILAP, I can also speak for a number of colleagues and other important nonprofits in this community who have agreed to lend their name to the following statement of support:

We respectfully request that the City of Portland's Planning Board approve Preble Street's conditional use application in order that its facility at 5 Portland Street undergo renovations needed for a new 24/7 Wellness Shelter. This initiative is desperately needed with so many people sleeping outside, during a public health emergency, as winter approaches.  Preble Street is not asking for City funds to do this, and is only seeking Planning Board approval to do necessary Covid19-informed renovations to the building.    We have a longstanding relationship with Preble Street, know them to be a professional, well-run organization, and they have offered us the opportunity to review its operating plans for this new shelter.

This following organizations have signed onto this statement of support:

  • Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project

  • Catholic Charities of Maine

  • Greater Portland Health

  • Spurwink

  • Good Shepherd Food Bank

  • Day One

  • Maine Equal Justice

  • Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition

  • Grace Street Ministries

  • Maine Inside Out

  • Black POWER (formerly Black Lives Matter)

  • Project Feed

  • Fork Food Labs

  • Maine State Employees Union - Service Employees International Union

  • Presente! Maine 

  • Hopeful Links

  • Sacred Heart Saint Dominic Food Pantry

  • Full Plates Full Potential

  • Furniture Friends

  • Mayo Street Arts

And in addition, Avesta Housing, ACLU Maine, and the United Way of Greater Portland have all sent in letters of support directly to the Planning Board.


Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and I hope you support Preble Street’s application in order to get a new shelter up and running as soon as possible.”

A PDF version of this statement is available here.

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