PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle City Council approved a financial boost to Aroostook County’s only homeless shelter Wednesday, after initially holding off on a decision in the hope that more communities across the region would support the facility.

The group unanimously authorized a $150,000 short-term loan to Homeless Services of Aroostook to help the Presque Isle homeless shelter cover expenses amid a funding shortfall.

The facility is among many that have struggled because the federal funds that sustained them through the COVID-19 pandemic have ended. Without money to operate, some shelters are at risk of closing, putting the most vulnerable Mainers at risk. The Presque Isle facility was among them, and last month Homeless Services of Aroostook Executive Director Kari Bradstree

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