MAHC Member Events
Apr. 4, 9-10:30 am, Maine Housing, 26 Edison Drive, Augusta
Jun. 6, 9-10:30 am, Location TBD
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Attend LD2 - Public Hearing - In Support - Apr. 4, 1 pm
An Act to Address Maine's Housing Crisis - An Act to End Chronic Homelessness by Creating the Housing First Fund. Read bill language here. This bill focuses on supporting people experiencing homelessness and housing Maine's approximately 400 chronic homeless individuals in supportive housing. MAHC will be testifying in support so it has impact across the Maine. We will share our testimony next week. Public hearing notice here. |
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MAHC Developer Pipeline & Construction Capacity Survey Results
MAHC sought input over the last month to understand the pipeline of affordable housing development at different stages across Maine. The good news is, there's 2,405 units in the pipeline across all the planning stages, throughout Maine. Of those, 700 are shovel ready. That was only responses from 34 developers, so there's many more in the works across Maine.
On the construction side, there's capacity to build 1,134 in the next two years. That was from only 5 construction companies, so we know there's significantly more construction capacity from companies we didn't hear from. So what's the hold up on many of these projects? Funding. That's why MAHC is advocating in this session for additional funds for housing development in the Budget Part 2, in Rep. Rebecca Millett's bill proposing $200 million for housing, and in Sen. Daughtry's proposed $100 million bond for housing.
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LD1232 - Public Hearing Notice - Apr. 4
This bill requires new buildings of at least 25,000 square feet to reserve 40% of applicable roof space for future installation of a solar energy system. Read bill language here. Prior legislation, LD1656, goes into effect January 1, 2024 and requires solar conduits to the roof, but doesn't require 40% of roof space. For housing developments, there are other design and system elements that limit remaining space for solar. MAHC will be researching this further and submitting testimony. |
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LD1107 - Public Hearing Notice - Mar. 28, 1:30 pm
This resolve requires the Maine State Housing Authority to implement and administer a 2-year pilot project to collect and report tenant rent payment histories to appropriate credit reporting agencies with the purpose of improving the credit ratings of low-income residential tenants in support of home purchasing. The resolve includes a one-time appropriation of $250,000 to contract with a vendor and pay subscription costs to implement and administer the project. |
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Budget Anticipated to Pass with Majority Vote
This part of the budget will just be the continuing services budget. It will likely be considered next week for legislative vote. This budget would begin July 1. Budgeted funding beyond the continuing services budget will be a part of Budget Part 2/Supplemental Budget that will be considered at the end of the legislative session around June and begin funding in September. Proposed funding in the budget for housing will be in the Budget Part 2/ Supplemental and available in the fall if it passes. The Housing Committee has asked for $80 million over two years, an increase from the $30 million proposed in the Governor's budget. |
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MAHC Bills Update
- Malon Land Use Bill - Awaiting a public hearing with the Housing Committee
- ADU Bill - Awaiting review
- Bond Bill - Likely part of bond review day in AFA
- Millett Funding Bill - Awaiting public hearing with the Housing Committee
- Municipal Buildings Bill - Passed |
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Congratulations to MAHC Members Getting Nominated to Maine Land Bank Authority
The new Maine Land Bank Authority's board has Janice de Lima from Norway Savings Bank, and Kevin Bunker from Developer's Collaborative nominated. These experienced, innovative MAHC members would make excellent housing advocates on this commission. |
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 FHL Bank Boston for NeighborWorks Market Briefing
New England Economic Conditions and Considerations for Equity, a presentation by FHL Bank Boston for NeighborWorks shared an employment, housing, wages, and inflation outlook including the above.
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| GrowSmart Maine and Build Maine Policy Priorities
POLICY ACTION 2023 is a set of legislative proposals aligned within eight working groups, each of which provides a single step—some incremental, some quite significant—toward the shared goal developed within the Policy Action 2023 process last spring: to address barriers to and create incentives for equitable, sustainable growth and development that strengthens downtowns and villages of all sizes while pulling development pressure away from productive and open natural areas. We do so acknowledging that Maine has urban, rural, and suburban settings for which any solution may or may not be a fit and a variety of people who deserve to be welcomed into their communities.
There is a Public Folder for Policy Action 2023 with information about all the bills, and how you can support those that pique your interest. The list of proposals and an evolving set of Fact Sheets can be found HERE.
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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.
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