The Equality Community Center in Portland, Maine held their grand opening with an official ribbon-cutting and block party earlier this week. At the event, ECC also kicked off a capital campaign to raise $1.5 million for affordable LGBTQ+ housing.
“I’m really excited to have this queer and allied space that is really focused on creating an inclusive environment,” the Center’s cofounding manager, Christopher O’Connor, told Boston Spirit earlier this year.
Reports WNTW-TV 8:
The Center will act as a hub for the LGBTQ community in the city, as well as a central location for LGBTQ advocacy groups along with other progressive groups. Tenants, such as Equality Maine, Portland Pride and Maine TransNet, have already moved in.
The event also served to kick off the Center’s capital campaign to raise $1.5 million to build a 60-unit affordable housing building adjacent to the center to house more vulnerable members of the LGBTQ community.
“We know housing is a struggle for many, but especially in the marginalized communities,” said Portland City Councilor Andrew Zarro. “So the capital campaign is going to result in designated, safe, affordable housing for members of our community.”
The ceremony featured a speech from State House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, who is the first openly gay Speaker of any state legislature in the country. It also featured a City Council proclamation read by Zarro.
More: eccmaine.org
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