Freeport relaunches General Assistance program after previous provider withdraws

Freeport city officials took over the General Assistance program Tuesday, months after Freeport Community Services backed out of hosting the state-mandated program.

Town Administrator Sophia Wilson announced at the Sept. 3 Town Council meeting that the town had received two general assistance applications by noon Tuesday in the process of taking over the program.

“The effort over the last few weeks has been to bring General Assistance in-house,” Wilson said. “… And (we) certainly could not have done it without the incredible staff in the clerk’s office.”

Wilson said a law the state passed last year that requires towns to accept applications for general assistance at any time during City Hall hours has made some planning for implementing an official role difficult.

But he said the town is preparing to combine the responsibility with a community health officer role. The Times Record is following up for more details on what that means, while Wilson said at the meeting that more information about a formal structure for the program will be announced in mid-September.

The move comes after Freeport Community Services, a nonprofit that helps Freeport residents meet basic needs, backed out of hosting the program just weeks before the city’s budget vote in June. The organization effectively terminated the contract in August, giving a 90-day notice.

FCS Executive Director Sarah Lundin said at the time that the decision to terminate the contract was difficult but necessary because the demands placed were beyond the organization’s capacity. FCS staff were spending 50 hours a week on a single case and averaging 10 cases each month, Lundin said.

The town’s General Assistance program provided FCS with $24,000 in funding — or $2,000 a month — to run a program. Council members in June expressed concern that FCS’ decision to terminate the contract in late spring would cost the town more tax dollars as it finalizes the budget.

FCS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.