Everyone in Maine should have the safety, opportunity, and peace of mind that comes from being able to afford a decent place to live. Homes are where opportunity begins: to learn, work, and build a life. Housing is critical to supporting economic security and wellbeing, community stability, and a strong workforce. But a shortage of affordable and available rental homes, increasing evictions, and insufficient housing vouchers contribute to housing insecurity and homelessness for far too many people in Maine.
While Maine’s housing crisis is big and multi-faceted, it is not intractable and we appreciate the time and energy that you and your colleagues are devoting to address housing needs. In order to adequately address this issue, a multifaceted and comprehensive approach will be necessary.
This year, dozens of organizations and stakeholders came together from across the state to look at what is ultimately needed to increase housing stability for renters. While solutions are also needed for homeowners, our collective focused on renters because they tend to be most housing insecure and have lower incomes.
Maine’s rental housing market is one of the least affordable in the nation.
Nearly 60% of low-income households pay more than 50% of their income on rent.
An increasing number of people are facing eviction because they are unable to afford their rent.
It has become clear that to create real stability for renters, we need a muti-faceted approach that addresses the following areas: (1) housing availability; (2) housing affordability; (3) eviction prevention; (4) discrimination and enforcement of existing laws; and (5) support services that enable people to access and maintain housing. All five of these areas are critically important and intersect when it comes to increasing housing stability for renters. Numerous bills are currently before the Legislature that would take meaningful steps to address these five areas. While our organizations are not necessarily prioritizing or endorsing all the bills on this list, we all agree that legislation must advance in all five of these areas to create housing stability for Maine renters.
We ask that you take steps to advance policy solutions in these five areas and that you see this as critical when it comes to creating more stability for Maine renters.
Thank you for your service and your commitment to tackling complex issues that matter so much to Maine residents, our communities, and our economy.
Respectfully,
AIO Food & Energy Assistance
Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services
Aroostook Agency on Aging
Avesta Housing
Bangor School Department
Bath Housing
Catholic Charities
Christine B. Foundation
City of Bangor, Maine
Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Community Care
Community Concepts
Community Health and Counseling Services
Community Housing of Maine
Dignity First
Down East Community Partners
Eastern Area Agency on Aging
Good Shepherd Food Bank
Greater Franklin Development Council
Heart of Maine United Way
Home Instead
Kennebec Valley Community Action Program
Knox Clinic
Legal Services for the Elderly
Maine Affordable Housing Coalition
Maine Behavioral Healthcare
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Maine Children's Alliance
Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence
Maine Community Action Partnership
Maine Council of Churches
Maine Council on Aging
Maine Developmental Disabilities Council
Maine Equal Justice
Maine Family Planning
Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition
Maine People’s Alliance
Maine Primary Care Association
Maine State Parent Ambassadors
MaineGeneral Medical Center
Midcoast Maine Community Action
Milestone Recovery
New Beginnings Inc.
New Hope Midcoast
New Season
New Ventures Maine
Northern Light Acadia Hospital
Oxford County Mental Health Services
Partners for Peace
Penobscot Community Health Care
Penquis
Portland Public Schools
Preble Street
ProsperityME
Quality Housing Coalition
Raise-Op Housing Cooperative
Retired
Rumford Group Homes, Inc.
SeniorsPlus
Southern Maine Agency on Aging
Spectrum Generations
Spurwink Services
St Joseph Healthcare
Starfish Village
The Bingham Program
The Opportunity Alliance
The Vicarage By The Sea
Thrive Penobscot/ Millinocket Regional Hospital
Tri-County Mental Health Services
United Midcoast Charities
United Way of Androscoggin County
United Way of Aroostook
United Way of Kennebec Valley
United Way of Mid Coast Maine
United Way of Southern Maine
United Way of the Tri-Valley Area
VOA Northern New England
Waldo Community Action Partners
WardGreen Group
Waterville Area Habitat For Humanity
Waterville Tenant Association
Wellspring
Westbrook Development Corporation
Westbrook Housing Authority
Western Maine Community Action
Wings for Children and Families
York County Community Action
YWCA Central Maine
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