AUGUSTA — An increase in homeless families helped drive a 12 percent jump in the number of nights spent by people in Maine shelters, a state official said Monday.

Homeless people slept in shelter beds a total of 65,461 nights during the first half of 1994. That compares to 58,637 in the first half of last year, said David Lakari, director of the Maine State Housing Authority.

In all, nearly 6,000 people in Maine were homeless at some time during the first six months of the year. That figure was slightly above the 1993 number.

Lakari attributed the increase in nights spent in shelters to a change in philosophy that permits homeless people to stay longer in shelters. That change reflects the greater difficulty in finding affordable housing for families, he said.

He said shelter operators reported an increase in homeless families.

“I think shelter operators allow families to stay longer because there is a greater need,” said Lakari. “The shelter operators have seen an increase in homeless families and know it is more difficult to find longer term affordable housing for families.”

All other things being equal, Maine should have seen a drop in the number of homeless this year because of new housing for people with special needs and other programs, said Lakari.

“The latest report demonstrates that if Maine wants to reduce the number of homeless, it must provide more resources for long-term housing for the very low income that make up the bulk of the homeless population,” he said.

Lakari, who became director in June, said the housing authority intends to release monthly updates on the number of homeless in the state.