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2023 Legislative Committee Members and Contacts - Subscribe

The Maine legislature has updated their committee lists. MAHC would like to bring your attention to the new Joint Select Committee on Housing. This will not be a permanent committee, but will be an important body during this session for our work. You can see the members with contacts, and subscribe to their mailing list to get notices of their public hearings for testimony here. The permanent Labor and Housing Committee page is also updated with this information. Feel free to reach out to members to share our priorities to address housing, and thank them for their service on these committees. MAHC will share specific asks and talking points to reach out to them over the coming weeks and months as the legislative session moves forward.

Awaiting LD Numbers - Current Slate of Bills

MAHC has submitted bills in alignment with our HOMEforMEpledge.com platform. Our signature bill is to fund the development of new affordable housing with a $100 million bond. MaineHousing is out of subsidy and we need to address our housing crisis with the only long term solution there is - new homes. With the deadline for bills last Friday, we are awaiting assignment of LD numbers for our bills and many other housing bills in play. One of these is a package of homelessness solutions that includes support for our housing bond. Expect a full list of bills and sponsors with summaries very soon.

Join Sen. Susan Collins - Jan. 9, 2:30-4 pm
at the NLIHC, NAEH, and CBPP Webinar on Homelessness and Housing First

Join us for the second webinar in the new series on Monday, January 9, from 2:30 to 4 pm. The webinar, “A World without Housing First,” will examine what is at stake if anti-Housing First legislation is enacted. Our speakers will address what it was like before Housing First and what it would mean for people experiencing homelessness and for homelessness programs if our efforts to defend Housing First are unsuccessful.

2023 MAHC Member Event Schedule Announced - See you Feb. 7

MAHC holds membership meetings every other month on the first Tuesday in February, April, June, August, October and December from 9 - 10:30 am in person. Members can add these events to your calendar here by clicking on "Subscribe to Calendar" at the bottom of the page. If you aren't already a member, but are considering it and would like to experience the networking before joining, reach out to MAHC here.

Find a New MAHC Member? Get a Gift.
We are launching a new MAHC membership promotion. If you help MAHC recruit a new member in 2023, you can get a free MAHC water bottle, and the sincerest thanks from the MAHC Board, and the thousands of Maine people that need a home.
Check out our membership list here and reach out to let us know who is missing that might be interested in a MAHC membership.
You can invite them to try out membership by attending a MAHC member event with you. Simply let MAHC know who you will be bringing here.

MAHC Supports Up For Growth as They Secure $85 million to Support Zoning Reform.

Congress passed a $1.7 trillion spending package for 2023. Among the provisions contained within the bill is a $85 million grant fund intended to support efforts by communities to remove barriers to affordable housing production and preservation.

This program will provide funding for technical updates to zoning codes and community engagement, with the goal of eliminating artificial barriers to housing production, such as exclusionary zoning. These efforts will be focused on improving housing strategies and increasing the availability of affordable housing.

Press Release

UFGA will work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on implementing the program. If you are interested in participating, please Contact Barbara
for more information.
behimika@upforgrowth.org

NLIHC Looking for Maine Organizations to Partner

The National Low Income Housing Coalition will be reaching out regarding joining their membership. MAHC is a member. If you would like to join their federal advocacy, training and support network, please click here or contact Lindsay Duvall here. As a member you receive discounted tickets to the annual Policy Forum (March 21-22, 2023), access to periodic meetings to inform your federal policy agenda, a free print edition of the Advocates’ Guide, discounts on other print publications, and access to a strong national network of advocates. Membership has suggested amounts, so you can join at any level that is affordable to you.