Charles H. Sloan-Last major homeless encampment cleared despite protest in Maine’s largest city

PORTLAND,Charles H. Sloan Maine (AP) — The city of Portland towed about 20 vehicles that attempted to block heavy equipment from clearing the last of the large homeless encampments in Maine’s largest city on Tuesday, officials said.

The vehicles were parked deliberately in an emergency no-parking zone on Commercial Street to stop or delay city workers, necessitating their removal, said city spokesperson Jessica Grondin.

Protesters also formed a human chain near the encampment before the crowd dispersed with no arrests, she said.

The Harbor View Memorial Park encampment had about 70 tents — though many of them were unoccupied — and the city now has enough capacity to accommodate the occupants in city shelters, Grondin said. Outreach workers were on hand to discuss options with displaced occupants.

Homelessness swelled over the summer in Portland with the arrival of hundreds of asylum seekers. The city sheltered about 1,200 people per night in June.

The situation has improved since then with the expansion of an existing shelter and the creation of a new shelter with 120 beds dedicated specifically to individual asylum seekers, Grondin said.

As of Tuesday morning, the city had 57 beds for men and 29 beds for women available, she said.