Maine organization aiming to end homelessness hires first executive director [Video]

As Maine’s housing crisis worsens, a longstanding organization aiming to end homelessness statewide has hired its first executive director.

Dean Klein, a homeless prevention advocate most recently from Virginia, has been tapped to lead the Maine Continuum of Care, a program created by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to promote community collaboration toward ending homelessness.

The Maine Continuum supports projects from various service providers throughout the state. The program receives $24 million a year from HUD.

While the Maine Continuum of Care has been established for decades, Dan Brennan, director of MaineHousing, said it’s the right time to hire a director. The leadership change was suggested by HUD, he said.

“There’s going to be more focus,” Brennan said. “Before that, everybody had a day job … The collaborative group that was more volunteer effort was just struggling because everybody’s so busy.”

Klein is tasked with working with …