PORTLAND, Maine — Nearing the halfway point in his four-year term, Portland Mayor Mark Dion remains focused on his two top priorities: affordability and public safety. And he's trying to rein in the ongoing issue of homelessness in the city.

"I maintain that many individuals who are out there on the street right now because of their addictive behavior or their illness have surrendered, not intentionally, their ability to make a decision in their best interest," Dion said in an interview in his City Hall office. "If you're willing to sleep on a sidewalk, that's not in your best interest. We need to intervene."

The city's Homeless Services Center, which cost $25 million and opened in 2023, is near capacity every night with all but 10 or 15 of its 258 beds occupied.

"It's not a holding fac

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