Christopher Babb said he went to Scarborough’s DHS office to apply for housing. Instead of getting support, he said he left feeling judged and disregarded.
SCARBOROUGH, Maine — One Mainer said he had a poor experience when he tried to apply for housing support at the Department of Human Services office in Scarborough. Instead of receiving help, Christopher Babb said he was turned away, and he said he left the office feeling judged and helpless.
In a matter of months, Babb has fallen on hard times, and he is currently homeless.
“At times, it seems like being hopeful is just more disappointing, but all you can do is try,” Babb said.
Babb said he began living in an extended stay in December a few days before Christmas after having to change his living situation at the last minute. While staying at the extended stay and planning for permanent housing, he has been saving money for an apartment.
Babb explained that he felt like staying at an extended stay while looking for reasonably priced housing made sense because he had built a decent savings. He saved money from a seasonal job that ended in October where he was making $19 per hour.
He also was working a full-time job at a local gas station, where he also made $19 per hour, but everything went downhill when he was fired from his full-time job on Jan. 15.
“A simple choice is really what it came down to,” Babb said.
Babb said he was terminated after he applied a discount to an alcohol item, which is illegal in Maine. He said he has worked in customer service for years and has often honored the sale price for items even if the sale is expired.
He said he was unaware of the law and lost his employment due to his own ignorance of the violation.
With no income, he could no longer afford to live in the extended stay, leaving him and his three pets at extreme risk of being homeless.
Babb also has a felony on his record, which makes it harder for him to find employment and housing.
“If it wasn’t for my friend Rick, I would have had to give my pets to the shelter,” Babb said.
Babb applied for unemployment after losing his job. Last week, he turned to Scarborough’s general assistance office, hoping to apply for housing and receive support, but he said the representative he worked with wouldn’t allow him to apply.
“She literally told me verbatim that it was no point in me filling out the application,” Babb said. “And she printed off a list of housing places from here to Augusta.”
That wasn’t all the representative printed off. The employee gave Babb a copy of an internal email between herself and a Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) worker who questioned how he was able to afford to live in an extended stay.
At the end of the email, the DHHS worker also wrote, “You probably already know the answers to all that,” when replying to the Scarborough DHS worker.
Babb said he’s not sure what the DHHS worker was insinuating. He said it seemed like the DHHS worker was implying that he was making money illegally or assuming things about his situation without understanding why he needed support.
Babb said the representative Scarborough DHS worker also didn’t fully explain why he was being turned away.
“And the end of it where she said, ‘Well, I think you know the answers to all that,’ that blew me away. How could you sit there and judge somebody that you’ve never talked to let alone met or ask them what their situation is like?” Babb said. “And these are people that are supposed to be there to help you.”
In a statement, the town of Scarborough’s Director of Human Services Liam Gallagher wrote, “While specific cases and clients are confidential, I am confident that we have handled all cases thoroughly and properly provided benefits to eligible clients.”
Over a phone call, Gallagher explained that his interpretation of the email was that Babb may not have been eligible for housing through the general assistance program because of the reason that he lost his job. Gallagher said the general assistance program has certain eligibility requirements, and applicants may not be eligible if they lost their form of employment due to misconduct.
Babb said he knows that they have to follow eligibility requirements, but he explained that he feels people should be met with understanding and not judgment.
He said he was stunned reading the email communication between the Scarborough DHS worker and the Maine DHHS employee. He also explained that he feels it’s ignorant to pass judgment on people without listening to the full story. The entire experience left him feeling discouraged, he said.
“Don’t leave them without any hope because that can be more detrimental,” Babb said.
Babb has a job interview scheduled for Wednesday. He said he’s hoping everything goes well.
Anyone who knows an employer who hires people with past criminal records can email Babb at rbabbchris@gmail.com.