Maine City Buys Bus Tickets, Sending Homeless To Warmer Climates
This week's cold snap inspired Bangor to spend $1,800 on tickets connecting the city's homeless population with friends, family, and even employment.
Temperatures took a huge nose dive this week. While many of us used heated seats, and finally turned on the heat, Maine's second largest city rebooted a program which allows their homeless to connect with people they know in likely much warmer weather.
According to NECN, Bangor spent nearly $2,000 buying bus tickets to send some of the homeless population out of the city, so they don't succumb to the cold. However, officials are quick to note the program isn't a catch-all. In order to connect with a relative or place of their choice, the person must first say they have no "natural supports" in the city and confirm they can't stay in a shelter. Bangor Police Sgt. Wade Betters said "This isn't you show up and say, 'Hey I want a bus ticket."
The program has experienced success. According to NECN, a man who traveled to Florida found work as a welder after living in woods in Bangor for over a year and is "very grateful."