The cities of Biddeford and Saco, Maine, were concerned about the rapid increase in people experiencing homelessness in their community. Unsure of how to address the issue, Biddeford and Saco partnered with SIS to conduct a technical analysis of their unhoused population and its needs. The final report included recommendations and policy options coupled with suggested next steps.

The cities’ goal was to use SIS’s report and recommendations as a framework to guide their decision-making process.

A systems perspective was used to expand the view of homelessness beyond the individual and shift the focus to other systems influencing the issue. This approach was crucial because it encouraged the cities to work in sync by connecting their resources, enabling a holistic homeless response that would have a greater impact across both of their communities.

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