NEWS RELEASE
February 2, 2026

Lewiston Schools, Community Concepts Partnership Highlights Need for Homeless Youth Support

LEWISTON, ME ­– Since launching in February 2025, the Student Homeless Prevention Pilot Program has supported 138 students and their families in the Lewiston-Auburn region, demonstrating both its immediate impact and the ongoing need for housing stability services. The program is administered through a partnership between the Lewiston School District and Community Concepts and is funded by MaineHousing with $191,118 through June 2026.

Unlike stopgap support programs, this program has provided comprehensive support not just by way of financial assistance, but education, connections to resources,  long-term stability planning.

Key Challenges Identified:

  • Generational poverty and trauma keep families stuck in survival mode
  • Shortage of housing sometimes includes evictions to renovate, raise rents
  • Broken benefits system penalizes for earning more (e.g., losing SNAP benefits)
  • Working families struggling even with full-time jobs at $19/hour

The partnership has succeeded in part due to expertise, knowledge, and awareness of each respective organization, with LPS’s Natasha Turcotte identifying students who are eligible under the Mckinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act and coordinating immediate resource needs, like clean clothes, transportation, food pantry access, hygiene items, and access to showering facilities; while Community Concepts’ Kim Fogg conducts intakes and develops stability plans and identifies what other whole family wrap-around services the individuals or families may be eligible for—like HEAP, budgeting education, and Home Visiting and Family Development Coaching. Together, the two have teamed up to remove immediate and longstanding barriers to students maintaining stable, comfortable housing—instead of vehicles, basements, and motels.

“These kids are very resilient, but it’s just sad to know that these kids didn’t make these decisions to get in these situations and have no control over it either,” said Natasha Turcotte, Lewiston Schools Family and Student Engagement Coordinator and District McKinney-Vento and Foster Care Liaison.

“Soaring rents and scarce affordable housing are pushing more households to the brink, leaving them one paycheck away from a housing crisis. Often, modest financial assistance paired with the right resources can be enough to prevent this,” said Kim Fogg, Community Concepts Family Development Coach.

This partnership is one of five pilot programs in Maine funded through MaineHousing grant awards. The success of the pilot demonstrates that this model works. However, it also makes clear that short-term funding is not enough. Sustained investment and strong community partnerships will be essential in the coming years to meet ongoing need and bridge the gap until long-term, stable housing solutions are realized across Maine.

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