BRUNSWICK — After more than 30 years of serving as the southern midcoast region's primary anti-homelessness agency, Tedford Housing is preparing to open the doors to a new facility that will dramatically expand its capacity to assist people experiencing homelessness, according to Tedford Housing. 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin with remarks at noon on Thursday, November 20, 2025, followed by an open house with tours until 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The first guests will move into the new shelters in mid-December 2025. 

"This new facility is more than just additional beds," says Andrew Lardie, Tedford Housing executive director. "It's a physically accessible and dignified home where people can heal, work with highly skilled staff, and access the resources they need to get back into permanent housing as quickly as possible. It will be a lifeline for the 80 or so additional guests we'll be able to serve each year. But for every guest, as well as staff, it also opens a new era in which Tedford invests more in the care of everyone so we can be our best amid hard times." 

Tedford's goal of replacing its modest shelters to meet more of the community's need was first announced over a decade ago. But the post-pandemic housing crunch has exacerbated the problem; last year the organization had to turn away 386 adults and 170 families who needed shelter but could not be accommodated. Across Tedford's catchment area that includes parts of four counties, an estimated 1200 people experienced homelessness at some point in the past year, including over 600 K-12 students identified by their schools, according to Tedford Housing.

"Tedford's new facility represents a critical step toward easing the regional crisis as residents await the construction of thousands of new permanent housing units," said Tedford.

Located at 65 Thomas Point Road in Brunswick, the 17,568 square-foot facility features separate, secure wings for its family shelter and adult shelter. In the new building, adult shelter capacity will increase from 16 to 24 beds and family shelter capacity from 6 to 10 units. For the first time, Tedford will bring its shelters and administration under one roof, with dedicated spaces for case management, protected play areas for children of various ages, and communal spaces designed to foster dignity and hope. 

The facility incorporates trauma-informed design principles, creating environments that support both immediate safety and long-term stability. Onsite case management will help families develop individualized Housing Stability Plans, connecting them with resources for permanent housing, healthcare, education, and employment. Organizations that specialize in those domains will continue and enhance their partnerships with Tedford, taking advantage of the new building's proximity to resources at Cook's Corner and Brunswick Landing, as well as space on-site where partner agencies can meet guests where they are. 

"With access to emergency shelter, we can prevent a family's housing crisis from becoming a catastrophe," said Michelle Baldwin, director of Programs at Tedford Housing. "Parents can keep going to work, and kids can show up to school rested. Our new shelters allow more people who are facing homelessness to get out of survival mode and instead save some mental energy for problem solving." 

The $9 million project was made possible through a successful capital campaign that featured significant investments from Cumberland County through ARPA funding, MaineHousing, and the MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital/Lincoln County Health Improvement Fund, along with generous donations from foundations, local businesses, and over 500 individuals. 

"We know that one of the more significant barriers to health is the lack of housing, whether temporary or permanent," said Cindy Wade, president of MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital and co-chair of the Lincoln County Health Improvement Committee. "Tedford is the only emergency housing resource serving Lincoln County, and this expanded facility will allow far more families and individuals in our community to get help when they need it most." 

Even as Tedford Housing celebrates this expansion, the organization faces challenges from proposed federal funding cuts that would decimate rental assistance and permanent supportive housing programs for over a thousand Mainers, most with disabilities, whose stability depends on them. Tedford continues to advocate with its counterparts statewide for policies that address rather than worsen the homelessness crisis.

Tedford Housing is a nonprofit organization founded in 1987 that provides emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, and homelessness prevention services to adults and families in Sagadahoc, northern Cumberland, Lincoln, and southern Androscoggin counties. Driven by its mission to empower people to move from homelessness to home, Tedford serves hundreds of individuals and families each year, helping them navigate crisis and build paths to stable housing. For more information, visit tedfordhousing.org.