First Place

Permanent Housing for Homeless Youth


Preble Street is a major provider in Maine of accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger and poverty, and an advocate for solutions to those problems.

Transition-in-Place Program for Chronically Homeless Youth

Preble Street's Joe Kreisler Teen Shelter and Teen Center provide basic services to homeless youth. First Place, funded through a John T. Gorman Foundation grant, is Preble Street's Transition-in-Place program for chronically homeless youth in Portland, Maine.

For youth (18 to 23 years of age) motivated to find housing, First Place offers an Enhanced Services curriculum, which offers life skills assessments, workshops in housing independence and life skills, and assistance in working toward housing goals.

Program Completion

In order to support youth in maintaining stable, permanent housing after completing the program, graduating clients will have the opportunity to obtain a Limited Local Preference Housing Choice Voucher through Portland Housing Authority.