Mark Swann is director of the social service agency Preble Street in Portland. H

Authors

Monica Wood

Source

Down East

Date

11-1-2009

Pages

62-71

Abstract

Mark Swann is director of the social service agency Preble Street in Portland. He was on the forefront of planning a housing-first initiative to offer permanent housing to chronically homeless people as a first, rather than last resort, before dealing with issues like mental illness and addiction. Logan Place is in its fourth year, with 25 men and women occupying efficiency apartments supported by staff. Studies show that 85 percent of the "service-resistant" succeed in supported housing at a significant cost savings to cities, which for Portland was $972 annually per tenant. A 93 percent increase in mental-health contacts resulted in a one-third decrease in cost, because of the drop in emergency room visits. Ground has been broken for the second such project, Florence house, which will house 50 women.

Subjects

Preble Street Resource Center Portland

Recommended Citation

Wood, Monica, "Mark Swann is director of the social service agency Preble Street in Portland. H" (2009). Maine News Index - Down East Magazine. 3753.
https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/news_downeast/3753