Bangor outlines coordinated homelessness response, emphasizes data and tenant-readiness

City Public Health and Community Services Director Jen Gunderman and the city’s new homeless response coordinator outlined a stepped-up, data-driven approach to homelessness at the Bangor City Council workshop on March 9.

Gunderman said the department has mapped roles to reduce duplication and improve coordination among case managers, outreach workers and external partners. “We wanted to show that there isn’t replication within our own department and that certain positions are tasked with very specific roles,” she said. She introduced the coordinator and said the department will provide quarterly updates tied to measurable indicators.

The coordinator, introduced in the meeting as Bruce, described recent outreach: “The last month and a half, I’ve been really out talking to a lot of people that are unhoused,” he said, adding that he has been meeting landlords, service providers and people at warming centers and shelters to build trust and find housing opportunities. He said the city is piloting tenant-readiness and shared-living models and exploring short-term “aggressive housing” placements that give people time to stabilize before moving into independent housing.

Gunderman emphasized a data strategy that will rely on the HMIS contractor to deliver regular reports, including the last ZIP code reported by people entering shelters, so the city can distinguish longtime Bangor residents from people newly arriving. “We’re going to be getting that report regularly,” she said. The data will inform where services are focused and help the city report progress to council.

Councilors repeatedly pressed for clarity on capacity and coordination. One councilor asked whether the new strategy can handle the predictable summer surge of people seeking services. Gunderman and the coordinator said their plan includes increased interdepartmental communication — involving police, parks and recreation and other departments — and closer relationships with external programs to get earlier notice when large numbers are likely to arrive.

Councilors also asked about duplication of nonprofits and about past performance of the position. Gunderman said the earlier homeless-response role focused heavily on closing encampments and that lessons from that work — including workforce training and partnerships — informed the current coordinator role.

The council requested ongoing updates; Gunderman said the department would return with periodic reports tied to HMIS data and other measures of success. The council ended the discussion by agreeing the topic will continue to appear on future agendas as the city prepares for warmer months.