Bangor Ramada Inn Will No Longer House the Homeless in the Fall

Bangor's homeless population won't be living in the Ramada Inn anymore, effective at the end of September.

The hotel on the Odlin Road in Bangor became a temporary homeless shelter in September of 2020, in response to the pandemic. It was used as an extension of the Hope House Health and Living Center in Bangor, that was overwhelmed by the number of potential guests, and the requirement to provide social distancing. Homeless shelters experienced great challenges, during the pandemic, providing enough beds while also honoring state mandates. Several temporary shelters were set up before it was decided that the Ramada would be used in that capacity.

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At a City Council meeting earlier this week, City Manager Cathy Conlow said the city did not establish the Ramada as a shelter and it was not the city's decision to end its use in that capacity.

The number of beds that exist within the shelter system, due to the pandemic, hasn't changed. The Ramada picked up the social distancing.

She went on to say that state funding has been keeping the shelter running, and that funding will go away at the end of September.

City officials are working with area homeless shelters to find beds for as many members of the homeless population as they can, before the weather turns colder. Without the need for physical distancing, Conlow says it should be an attainable goal.

The Ramada Inn as a shelter has garnered many complaints from area business owners, who said they were dealing with panhandling outside their businesses and even some vandalism.