Biddeford General Assistance administrator asks city to continue funding for Seeds of Hope

Biddeford’s General Assistance administrator is asking the City Council to fund Seeds of Hope for fiscal year 2027 as the city continues to address the issue of homelessness.

In June 2024, the City Council gave approval for Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center, 35 South St., to serve as an overnight center for those who are unhoused. Seeds of Hope is not open 24 hours a day. The overnight program operates from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and the neighborhood center is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Seeds of Hope also helps connect people with resources and assists with finding housing.

“Seeds of Hope is the primary driver in getting people into independent housing,” said General Assistance Administrator Jacob Hammer at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

While Seeds of Hope is not a shelter, it is the only overnight center in York County for those who are unhoused. In May 2025, York County Shelter Programs closed its emergency shelter, leaving York County without a homeless shelter.

Seeds of Hope is a separate nonprofit organization and not a city agency.

In Fiscal Year 2025 the city spent $461,000 to fund Seeds of Hope and was reimbursed about $130,000 from the state. Hammer said reimbursement rates are anticipated to increase, noting that the city funded $480,000 in the current fiscal year for Seeds of Hope and as of January 2026 had been reimbursed almost $119,000.

Hammer said if the city were to not fund Seeds of Hope in the upcoming year, it would cost the city a lot more than $480,000 a year.

He said if Seeds of Hope was not an option, the city would have to send unhoused people to hotels. Assuming there were 40 people at any given time needing a place to sleep, this could cost the city about $42,000 a week.

If Seeds of Hope were to close, it would put a lot of burden on city services, a negative economic impact on the downtown corridor and an increase in health issues.

Seeds of Hope has a proven track record of keeping people safe at night, said Hammer. He said if it were to close, it would put a lot of burden on city services, and there would be an increase of encampments and related public health concerns.

Hammer also recommended the city adopt an ordinance prohibiting camping on all public property city-wide. In 2024, the city passed an ordinance prohibiting camping at the city’s public parks. The 2024 ordinance does not include other public property like sidewalks and parking lots.

He also recommended Biddeford join in on conversations with other area leaders regarding a regional homeless shelter in York County.

Councilor Abigail Woods said that Seeds of Hope had housed more than 100 people since it opened its overnight center, which she said was an “astronomical” number. She also said that city services costs would increase without Seeds of Hope.

Councilor Pat Boston said that when the Water Street encampment was shut down in 2024 and Seeds of Hope opened the overnight facility, it provided a “respite spot” for people to stay overnight, but there was nowhere for them to go during the daytime.

She said a long-term solution had to be a regional facility with support from the state and other communities.

Councilor Brad Cote said that Seeds of Hope is more of a Band-Aid solution until a regional shelter is established.

“We’re shouldering the load for a lot of other communities that aren’t doing as much as we do,” said Cote.

The Biddeford City Council will discuss funding homelessness programs tonight at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting will be livestreamed and recorded.

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.