Maine's 132nd Legislature is getting ready for a busy 2025. MAHC advocated for maintaining a committee focused on housing after the Joint Select Committee's work ended this year. Starting in 2025 there will be a standing Committee on Housing and Economic Development. Committee membership was announced today and MAHC will be welcoming this new group of housing leaders for Maine: 

• Senator Glenn “Chip” Curry (D-Waldo), Chair 
• Senator Donna Bailey (D-York)
• Senator Richard A. Bennett (R-Oxford)
• Traci Gere, Chair (D-Kennebunkport) 
• Tiffany Roberts (D-South Berwick) 
• Cheryl A. Golek (D-Harpswell) 
• Marc G. Malon II (D-Biddeford) 
• Cassie Lynn Julia (D-Waterville) 
• Yusuf M. Yusuf (D-Portland) 
• Amanda N. Collamore (R-Pittsfield)* 
• Arthur Kevin Mingo (R-Calais) 
• Mark Walker (R-Naples) 
• John Eder (R-Waterboro)

Please join Maine Housing, Friday (12/13) from 10:00 until 11:30 AM at MaineHousing - or virtually - to discuss the Affordable Homeownership (AHOP) and Rural Affordable Rental Housing (Rural) Programs.  As you assemble your applications, we thought an information session might prove helpful. Genesis Fund, who has been contracted by MaineHousing to provide technical assistance to potential developers, will be available. 

Please be sure to review the program guides before the discussion.  Email Mark W at Maine Housing for virtual info: mwiesendanger@mainehousing.org 

"As for LIHTC expansion provisions, we are very hopeful for their inclusion in the tax bill. Both incoming Finance Chairman Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ways and Means Chairman Smith have publicly referenced the LIHTC and their desire to have it included in the tax bill. Along with our advocacy colleagues, we have been working with our AHCIA leads and their staffs to begin positioning the LIHTC. We will finish the current 118th Congress with more bipartisan cosponsors than any other tax provision. H.A.G. will be meeting with the staff of our AHCIA leads this week, as well as the Majority Staff of the Ways and Means Committee, to get their initial reading of the tax bill and to what extent we will be able to include LIHTC provisions in the bill. We are taking nothing for granted, and we will be encouraging all-out advocacy for the next version of the AHCIA, but we believe we are well positioned to finally have resources included in the final tax package. We will share more with you as the framework of the tax bill comes into focus." Housing Advisory Group

Lisa Tissari has lived in her Orono apartment for eight years, with her four-year-old corgi Arlo. It's a little cramped, but homey, and she knows all her neighbors, and hosts holiday celebrations for Thanksgiving and Christmas in the community room. "Any one of us at any number of any time, has locked themselves out of their apartment, has been locked out, and so they know they can buzz me," she said. "I'll come let them in. I'll call maintenance for them if I need to, and have them come let them in, or whatever. So I do try to watch out for, you know, for my neighbors, especially the older neighbors." But when she and her neighbors heard the building could be sold, they worried about losing their homes. Read more.