Math matters, especially as it relates to unsheltered homelessness — the number of people left outside with nowhere to go at night. The Point-in-Time count says that in 2026, just 361 people were unsheltered in Maine. The city of Portland has the largest shelter in the state in the Homeless Services Center. Combined with a severely constrained rental housing market, the effect of unsheltered homelessness on individuals and communities is profound. We must do better — for our communities that struggle to respond, and for Mainers who face another night outside.