Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee — Portland, ME
Date: 2024-03-21
Time: 09:00

EMERGENCY SHELTER
 ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE
 One City Center
 Thursday, March 21, 2024
 9:00 AM

 AGENDA
1. Introductions

 a. January 18, 2024 and February 15, 2024 Minutes
2. Monthly Shelter Bed Usage Statistics

 a. February 2024 Monthly Shelter Statistics
3. Capacity at the Homeless Services Center (HSC) and 166 Riverside

4. Hub 2 Update

5. Region 1 Update

6. Federal, State and Local Legislation

 a. Bill Tracking
7. Other Business




 Next Meeting
 April 18, 2024
 Time: 9:00 AM
 Location: One City Center
 If you should have any questions, please contact:

 Aaron Geyer Adam Harr
 Health & Human Services Department Health & Human Services Department
 Social Services Division Social Services Division
 (207) 482-5131 (207) 482-5144
 aeg@portlandmaine.gov ash@portlandmaine.gov

EMERGENCY SHELTER
 ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE
 One City Center
 Thursday, March 21, 2024
 9:00 AM

 AGENDA
1. Introductions

 a. January 18, 2024 and February 15, 2024 Minutes
2. Monthly Shelter Bed Usage Statistics

 a. February 2024 Monthly Shelter Statistics
3. Capacity at the Homeless Services Center (HSC) and 166 Riverside

4. Hub 2 Update

5. Region 1 Update

6. Federal, State and Local Legislation

 a. Bill Tracking
7. Other Business




 Next Meeting
 April 18, 2024
 Time: 9:00 AM
 Location: One City Center
 If you should have any questions, please contact:

 Aaron Geyer Adam Harr
 Health & Human Services Department Health & Human Services Department
 Social Services Division Social Services Division
 (207) 482-5131 (207) 482-5144
 aeg@portlandmaine.gov ash@portlandmaine.gov




 Page 1
1-18-24 ESAC Mee�ng Minutes

Camping Updates:
Concerns over the tent heat map being created by the City were raised and discussed. Speciﬁc concerns
included Issues of safety and issues of privacy. Capturing basic informa�on about the number of tents
across the City itself wasn’t a concern, but rather the capturing the speciﬁc loca�ons and public sharing
of this informa�on was more concerning.

The policy around small campsites being swept (separate from the larger encampment sweeps) was
raised as a ques�on. Preble Street had been informed of smaller campsites (with only a few tents and
placed out of site) were being swept (or told they would be swept). This would be a change in prac�ce,
and opposed to the guidance street outreach workers were providing to those unwilling to go to the HSC
(telling people to have smaller sites, kept clean, and placed in less visible loca�ons).

The HSC has seen 9 housing placements this month so far. It also was seeing an average of 10 nights per
stay and quick ﬂuctua�ons in shelter stays – at one point it could be near full, and the next night there
could be 20 open beds.

Hub 2 (Cumberland County) currently has 427 people on the by name list, with over 200 people
repor�ng as unsheltered on the list.

The Point in Time (PIT) Count is happening on Tuesday. We know the unsheltered numbers are
ﬂuctua�ng regularly right now, especially due to the cold winter weather that is encouraging more
people to go inside.

From the providers, they are seeing a lot of people who want to go to the shelter. A lot more people are
asking to go to the shelter, and a lot of street outreach work has shi�ed to ge�ng people to the shelter
(in addi�on to tradi�onal van outreach). This is not a speciﬁc number, but anecdotal. People saying it
feels like a diﬀerent environment now, a good shi� in a�tude from people who want to go to the shelter
– it is becoming a more viable op�on and it feels hopeful that more people are being housed, which
would increase interest in going to shelter as we move forward.

From the last report of 127 tents, it has dropped now to 46 tents. Addi�onally, 75 to 80 people came to
warming shelter.

The HSC has had 400 intakes since November, and was down to 8 beds available for that night.

DHHS now has caseworker embedded onsite so all appointments can happen onsite. They are working
to do the same with the DMV to get photo IDs as well.

As of January 10th, 3 people had been barred from the HSC (for violent oﬀenses/signiﬁcant the�).

The atmosphere is so much beter than the Oxford street shelter that it is calmer, there is more space for
people, and people can deescalate so they don’t blow up.




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There is also now a pet fostering op�on in place to minimize the barrier for those who are unsheltered
with pets.

There was a discussion that the presence of encampments can actually increase the number of people
being unsheltered.
 • Over 25 years, the City had an increase of 60 people in the shelter system at one �me. In 7
 months, we had an increase of 300 people.
 • There were a few driving factors: First, people who were situa�onally homeless were placed in
 hotels during this �me (through the Covid-era Emergency Rental Assistance program). Normally,
 these people should have been in and out of the system and returned to housing with supports,
 but instead of returned to housing they stayed in hotels. The homeless system needs the
 ou�low. This is what happened prior to COVID – but with ERA responses we kept people in
 hotels for 2 years without focusing on ge�ng them into housing. So when the ERA ended, these
 people had become ‘entrenched’ in this homelessness and we didn’t have a plan to transi�on
 them into housing. And, we didn’t have enough aﬀordable housing available to compound the
 issue.
 • There was a similar context in Hennepin County, Minnesota. However, they focused on housing
 naviga�on, so when ERA ended, their hotels were empty and people had found housing. They
 had a 98% reten�on rate in that housing.
 • There was a ques�on about why it is so hard to know how many people are experiencing
 unsheltered homelessness right now. HMIS used to be a really strong count, but fell down when
 we opened the hotels, we didn’t put those people into HMIS.
 • This is what the Hub Coordinators are doing. Nakesha shared the process of coordinated entry
 and case conferencing, and the by name list.
 o Right now, we don’t have enough resources to match with every person who is
 unhoused.
 o There are mul�ple needs – we need more housing resources, and we need more
 staﬃng. We may not need to know where people are and their individual needs, but we
 do need to know the total numbers.
 o Silos are breaking down – organiza�ons aren’t keeping their numbers to themselves or
 their resources – it is taking �me.
 o But, it feels like Portland and Hub 2 will be the one that shows the state that if we can
 break down the silos and share informa�on and resources we can house more people,
 more quickly.
 o Lauren from the City shared an anecdote from another COC that implemented
 coordinated entry in 2017 – that saw it took �me. It was a constant evolu�on of asking
 who needs to be at the table.




Warming Center Updates:




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The warming center is now opening if it is forecasted to drop below 20 degrees at any point in a 24 hour
period. It would be great if we have a way to communicate with everyone if the warming shelter is open
tonight.

At the state level, there’s an eﬀort to not look at warming centers as shelter overﬂow – looking at
crea�ng an overﬂow shelter network so we can handle the ebb and ﬂow of need.

Legisla�ve Updates:
Cullen shared both na�onal and state legisla�ve updates.

Na�onal:
Housing credit improvement act – (King and Collins) – support
Case on homelessness is coming before the supreme court
Listening sessions with HUD about adding a 30 day no�ce

State:
Two big bills coming up –
 1) $10mil for emergency shelters
 2) Reimbursing more per night, and Medicaid use toward rents
Carryover bills –
Maine Aﬀordable Housing Coali�on – bill around get historic tax credit expanded
Housing voucher system

Preble Street is providing talking points for LD 2038 and LD 2126 – with clear messaging about how and
why.


Region 1 update:
Region 1 had not held a mee�ng since the last ESAC mee�ng. Nothing new to report.

Hub Report:
There are 427 people on the by name list.

The Hub has its ﬁrst housing ﬁrst apartment coming online soon, unit for coordinated entry case
conferencing.

The PIT Count is coming up and there are a few volunteers on board. USM will be reaching out to
students interested in joining. Trainings went out on Tuesday. And, there will be an FAQ on Monday, the
day before PIT Count. We have warming kits to provide as well – to en�ce people to par�cipate.

There are many VASH funds/vouchers available – so make sure to connect with that resource for any
veterans experiencing homelessness.




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 Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee

 Remote Meeting

 Thursday, February 15, 2024
 9:00 am – 10:00 am

 Minutes

Name Organization Name Organization

Adam Harr City of Portland Brian Townsend Commonspace

Anne-Marie Brown UWSM George Rheault Resident

Aaron Geyer City of Portland Ben Martineau HVJ

Eric brewer HVJ Mike Guthrie City of Portland

Cullen Ryan CHOM Terrence Miller Preble Street

Stephanie Gilbert DA Office Lauren bower City of Portland

Kirk Carlsen Milestone Recovery Briana Costello Maine Medical
 Center


Meeting Summary
The ESG budget was presented and there will be public comment on March 18th and April 1,
2024 at the City Council. During the statistics, the group discussed exploring getting the
deduplicated number of people with CTOs and who truly has no shelter eligibility as a result,
adding data/ a slide for the warming centers, and adding 166 Riverside to the statistics. 166 is for
asylum seekers and HSC is for anyone, prioritizing the unsheltered. January was the first month
that the city did not see a fatal overdose in two and a half years; HSC administered 38 doses of
Narcan in January.
Introductions
 • Brian moved to approve the December meeting minutes, Taylor seconded and the
 minutes were approved. The January and February minutes will be reviewed at the March
 meeting.
 • Jenny Stasio could not attend to give the Region 1 update.
January Emergency Shelter Statistics
 • Kristin Jenkins reached out for the lakes region shelter they are exploring.




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 Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee

 • South Portland has a lot of intakes this month at 13 This is a perennial issue on the Mills
 budget discussed next week; it would be helpful in the legislation side to show how many
 other towns are utilizing Portland shelters.
 • Update the HSC HIC to 258 with the temporary increase.
 • Add the capacity of the warming centers that we know of; what is the capacity to actually
 be inside.
 o Separate slide for warming center.
 • New developments have come online; is there tracking of those new developments such
 as 22 park avenue.
 o That info would be on coordinated entry but it is unclear how granular that info is.
 How to track and report those data.
 o 22 people from LTS moved into Phoenix Flats.
 o The CE BNL should give us more info as it is established
 • How do we want to include 166 Riverside?
 o 166 is full; are Asylees being turned away? (Continued in lower agenda item.)
 • Add based on self reporting on the intake residency slide.
 • The physical space creates less conflict at the HSC vs OSS.
 • Are the warming center serving the 28* individuals with CTOs?
 o There are 28 active CTOs but multiple of those CTOs could be for one person.
 o Is the neighborhood prosecutor able say if if the CTOs span multiple shelters for
 one person to get the individual number?
 • Ashlea’s place was created to serve the hardest to house.
 • The teen shelter is looking for the THUD bill for renovating the teen shelter. That
 renovation was approved 2 years ago.
 • Re-label FSWC on nighty count slide as the hotels for Through These Doors.
ESG
 • HUD has not made a final allocation so the budget is based on last years level.
 • Public comment will be on March 18th and April 1, 2024 at the City Council
 • Hoping HUD will include actual budget but if not the figures will go up or down
 accordingly.
 • There is one RRH person at the HSC.
 • The budget covers life skills, tenant workshops, and RRH at HSC.
166 Riverside Shelter and HSC Capacity
 • 166 is for asylum seekers and HSC is for anyone, prioritizing the unsheltered.
 • The Housing Inventory group of the ECRT decided to prioritize the truly unsheltered.
 • The provider group on Monday concurred that there is not a group of asylum seekers that
 are unsheltered.
 o There was frustration that is took 4 hours over WhatsApp for providers to find
 places for asylum seekers to stay.




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 Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee

 o The people that are sleeping outside do not have a WhatsApp network to find
 shelter and must sleep outside.
  • We have moved the curfew to 9:00 PM and now to 11:00 PM which is how the HSC ends
 up with beds open.
  • The living room will send people to the HSC up until 11:00 PM.
 o Henry and Megan have worked out that people can be sent to the living room and
 from there will be taken to the HSC.
  • We need federal resources.
  • “Check-in” is in the morning for people to let staff know they still plan to stay at the HSC
 at that night. You know you have a bed at the end of the day by doing check-in 4AM to
 9AM.
  • We send an emails at 9:00 AM with bed availability and then another at 6PM.
  • If asylum seekers were sleeping outside, they would be welcomed into the shelter like
 anyone else.
  • The Warming Center at 425 Congress is still available when it is opened.
 o They are funded through the end of March.
 o It was opened last night and on Saturday.
  • This policy creates capacity for people outside. Asylees moving into the HSC led the
 shelter from serving 1,700 people annually down to 1,000; this policy helps us meet the
 needs of more people.
 o Leaving some beds open will allow us to serve more people over time.
 o This also allows for PD to drop people off in the night during snow storms.
  • January was the first month that the city did not see a fatal overdose in two and a half
 years.
 o HSC administered 38 doses of Narcan in January.
 o If someone has a fatal overdose in the county jail, does that count as a Portland
 fatal overdose?
  It would be reported via emergency services.
  • We provided the numbers to Senator King's office from the United Way. Overall since
 2022, this region has received $7,509,758.02 in EFSP Humanitarian Aid funding,
 supporting ten agencies providing services in Southern Maine. The overall breakdown by
 Fiscal Year is:
 o FY 2022 = $2,855,842.49
 o FY 2023 = $3,614,857.53
 o FY 2024 = $1,039,058.00
 o Highlighting the sharp decline of funding in critical funding
  • We are operating at an emergency capacity of 258 above the 208 capacity.
  • From a hospital perspective 166 has been very helpful to not keep people in hospital
 when it was not medically necessary nor discharge to unsheltered homelessness.
HUB 2
  • 537 participants on the BNL




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 Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee

 • Case conferencing had their first housing on January 29th with 4 more units coming
 online for them soon.
 • Maine State Prison raised $12,000 to support unsheltered people in Portland and made
 650 warming kits to 14 organizations.
 • South Portland housing navigator is online and SoPo is the first community outside of
 Portland to join HUB 2 CE.
 • HUB partners have joined to apply for a grant.
Legislative Update
 • Federal
 o Waiting for congress to sign funding bill.
 • State
 o Mills supplemental budget includes 16 million
  10 million for low barrier shelters.




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 PORTLAND HOMELESS SHELTERS
Average Total Number of Individuals Residing in Shelters* per Night:

 February, 2023 February, 2024

 ADOLESCENTS 21 Individuals 17 Individuals

 FAMILIES 174 Individuals 128 Individuals
 64 Average Families 43 Average Families


 ADULTS 322 Individuals 349 Individuals

 Total 518 Individuals 494 Individuals


 Prepared by: City of Portland, Health & Human Page
 Services
 9 Department, Social Services Division
 HOMELESS SERVICES CENTER *Because people are entering
 FEBRUARY, 2024 the country in other communities
 then relocating here, what would be
 Intakes by Residency considered out of country intakes are
 captured as out of state.
 MAINE TOWN OUT-OF-STATE *OUT-OF-COUNTRY

 Auburn 2 Lewiston 4 Springvale 1 CO 1
 Augusta 2 Monroe 1 Standish 1 CT 1
 Bath 2 Naples 3 Topsham 1 FL 1
 Berwick Norway Warren
 1 1 1 MA 1
 Biddeford Old Orchard Wells
 1 3 1 ND 1
 Beach
 Bridgton 1 Orono 1 Westbrook 2 NH 4
 Casco 1 Rumford 2 Windham 2 NM 1
 Mechanic Falls 1 Saco 1 Wiscasset 1 NV 1
Conner Township 1 South Berwick 1 Yarmouth 1 OR 1
 Damariscotta 1 South Paris 1 VT 1
 Gorham 3 South Portland 3
 Page 10
MAINE TOWN: 49 OUT-OF-STATE: 14 OUT-OF-COUNTRY: 0 PORTLAND: 26 Unknown: 3 TOTAL: 92
 PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE
 FEBRUARY, 2024
 SHELTER INTAKES BY MONTH
 Current Bed
 2019 2023 INTAKES
 Capacity
 2024

 16+ at shelter
 Through These Doors 7/7 and hotel
 overflow
 Family Shelter 17/62 146
 Joe Kreisler** 7 24
 Milestone 19 36
 HSC (Men) 68
 208 + 50
 HSC(Women) 24 temporary beds


 19 25 at Shelter, 15
 Florence House
 at Safe Haven
 Elena’s Way** 5 40
*NOTE: this and the next two slides compare the current year, last year, and the last year before the pandemic.
* * All new intakes were unsheltered. TOTAL 166 560+
 Page 11
 PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE
 FEBRUARY, 2024
 HOUSING PLACEMENTS BY MONTH
 2019 2023 TOTAL
 2024 BED
 HOUSING TEMPORARY PERMANENT
 NIGHTS
 PLACEMENTS
 Through
 3 /11 1,575 3 / 11
 These Doors
 Family
 6 / 19 4,763 6/19
 Shelter
 Joe Kreisler 2 79 1 1
 Milestone 1 71 1
 HSC (Men) 4 400 4
 HSC
 1 147 1
 (Women)
 Florence
 4 529 1 3
 House
*Starting October, 2013, Oxford Street Shelter (replaced by HSC) shifted Elena’s Way 2 691 2
prioritization of housing placements to their 30 longest-term stayers.
 TOTAL 23 2 21
 Page 12
 PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE
 FEBRUARY, 2024
 1st TIME HOMELESSNESS STATISTICS
 (BASED ON SELF-REPORTING)
 % of % of
2019 2023 1st Time
 1ST TIME the Portland
2024 All Homeless % of All
 HOMELESSNESS Shelter First Time
 STATISTICS Intakes  Intakes Intake
 ’s Homeless
 Intakes Intakes
 Through These
 7/7 0 - - -
 Doors
 Family Shelter 17/62 15/56 88% 10% 25%
 Joe Kreisler 7 5 71% 4% 8%
 Milestone 19 10 53% 11% 17%
 HSC (Men) 68 17 25% 41% 29%

 HSC (Women) 24 6 25% 14% 10%

 Florence House 19 6 32% 11% 10%
 Elena’s Way 5 0 - - -
 Page 13
 TOTAL 166 59 36%
 PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE
 FEBRUARY, 2024 *CTOs from the former Oxford Street Shelter carried over as restrictions

 CTOs FROM SHELTER
 with the same end date as the CTOs issued for the OSS shelter address
 and are included in this number. Anyone restricted from the HSC can ask
 to speak to management to request lifting the restriction.
Total Current Criminal Trespass Orders
 Medical
 2023 CTOs in the
 2024 CTO STATISTICS Restrictions Current CTOs
 Month
 in Month
 Family Shelter 0 0
 Joe Kreisler 0 3
 Milestone 0 10
 HSC* 2 11
 Florence House 0 3
 Elena’s Way 0 0
 TOTAL 2 27
 CTOs Issued in the Month
 10 8
 6 6 6
 4 4
 5 3 3
 2 2
 1 1
 0
 SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB
 Page 14
 PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE
 FEBRUARY, 2024
 HOUSING PLACEMENTS BY TYPE
 Recovery Housing Family Sect. 8/ No
 S+C BRAP STEP OTHER* GA
 Home Project/PSH Reunification HCV Subsidy
Through These Doors 1 1 1
 Family Shelter 4 2
 Joe Kreisler 1 1
 Milestone 1
 HSC (Men) 1 1 1 1
 HSC (Women) 1
 Florence House 3 1
 Elena’s Way 1 1
 TOTAL 1 3 1 5 4 6 3

*Rapid Re-Housing, Transitional Housing,
 Distribution of Placements in the Month: 23
Jobcorps
  1 3 1 5 4 6 3

 2024 Placements: 55 25

 11
 4 6 5
 0 2 0 1 1
 Page 15
 Calendar Through These Family Florence Joe HSC Elena's Total
 Day Milestone TTD Hotels
 Doors Shelter House Kreisler Beds Way Bed Nights
 1 17 88 32 18 35 238 4 40 472
 2 17 88 31 17 36 230 4 40 463
 17 88 33 13 30 451
 PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE
 3 226 4 40
 4 17 88 33 17 36 225 4 40 460
 5 17 84 36 16 35 452
 FEBRUARY, 2024
 224 0 40
 6 13 84 34 18 38 229 0 40 456
 7 14 89 38 17 37 467
SHELTER COUNT BY NIGHT
 232 0 40
 8 15 96 40 16 34 234 0 38 473
 9 16 103 40 15 36 233 0 38 481
 10 16 103 39 15 36 226 0 38 473
 11 13 103 39 14 38 233 0 38 478
 12 13 108 40 19 36 227 0 37 480
 13 14 114 40 16 37 230 0 37 488
 14 16 114 40 16 37 241 0 39 503
 15 16 118 41 19 40 243 0 39 516
 On February: 29 16 16 123 40 17 38 245 0 39 518
 17 16 121 39 16 36 239 0 39 506
 527 individuals 18 15 121 41 19 36 238 0 39 509
 19 15 121 41 18 37 236 0 39 507
 (including families) 20 16 125 40 17 36 241 0 38 513
 21 16 130 38 16 37 240 0 38 515
  were utilizing shelter services in 22 16 130 38 17 37 247 0 39 524
 23 16 125 38 16 35 249 0 39 518
 Portland 24 16 125 37 17 31 242 0 39 507
 25 16 125 38 17 38 241 0 39 514
 26 16 127 38 19 32 243 0 40 515
 27 16 129 40 20 33 242 0 40 520
 28 16 129 40 19 34 247 0 40 525
 29 16 135 40 21 32 243 0 40 527
 Total 453 3,234 1,104 495 1,033 6,864 16 1,132 14,331
 Avg/night 16 112 38 17 36 237 1 39 494
 Highest 17 135 41 21 40 249 4 40 527
 Lowest 13 84 31 13 30 224 0 37 451

 Page 16
 Non-LTS
 HOMELESS SERVICES CENTER & COMMUNITY OVERFLOW
 HOUSING PLACEMENT DATA LTS
35
 2023 HSC Placements: Non/Long Term Stayer
30

25

20
 13 12
15
 9 6
10
 10 7
 6 8 12 7
 5 7 10 6 9 7
 3 1 4 4 2 6 1 3
 0 1
 January February March April May June July August September October November December

35
 2024 HSC Placements: Non/Long Term Stayer
30

25

20

15

10

 5 6
 5
 0 1
 January February March April May June July August September October November December
 Page 17
 HOMELESS SERVICES CENTER
 PERMANENT AND TRANSITIONAL
 2024 HOUSING PLACEMENT DATA




 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL %
TOTAL HOUSING PLACEMENTS
 7 5 12 100%

Portland 6 3 9 75.0%
Auburn 0.0%
Biddeford 1 1 8.3%
Brunswick 0.0%
Gorham 0.0%
Lewiston 0.0%
Sanford 1 1 8.3%
South Portland 0.0%
Westbrook 0.0%
Other Maine Towns 0.0%
Reunification with friends/family in another
Maine town* 0.0%
Reunification with friends/family in another
 1 Page 18
state* 1 8.3%
 FAMILY SHELTER
 PERMANENT AND TRANSITIONAL
 HOUSING PLACEMENT DATA
14
 2024
12
10
 8
 6
 4
 2
 0
 Portland Auburn Augusta Biddeford Gorham Gray Lewiston Lyman Mexico Old Orchard Sanford South Westbrook Yarmouth Other Maine Out of State
 Beach Portland Town
 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL
 100%
 TOTAL HOUSING PLACEMENTS 10 6 16
 Portland 9 5 14 88%
 Auburn 0%
 Augusta 0%
 Biddeford 0%
 Gorham 0%
 Gray
 0%
 Lewiston 1 1 6%
 Lyman 0%
 Mexico 0%
 Old Orchard Beach 0%
 Sanford 0%
 South Portland 0%
 Westbrook 1 1 6%
 Yarmouth 0%
 Other Maine Town 0%
 Page 19
 Out of State 0%
 Policy/Advocacy Update – Revised: 3/4/24
Federal Legislation Update
 BUDGET & FUNDING-RELATED ITEMS - Updates
Tax Package – Update – The House passed its tax package, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7024),
at the end of January. The bill now faces a full vote in the Senate. The tax bill includes provisions to expand the Child Tax Credit
(CTC), as well as top two top legislative priorities related to affordable housing (also included in the bipartisan Affordable Housing
Credit Improvement Act that has widespread bipartisan support). The tax bill would do the following for affordable housing:
 • Restore the 12.5 percent allocation increase for nine percent LIHTCs for 2023 to 2025; and
 • Lower the 50 percent bond financing test to 30 percent for 2024 to 2025.
FY 24 Budget – Update – On 2/29, Congress passed, and the President signed, another short-term continuing resolution (CR) to
extend federal funding for THUD through 3/8. To avoid passing a large, 12-bill appropriations deal, Congress will instead move the
12 bills in two separate waves: the first six bills (including THUD) will expire on 3/8, while the remaining six bills will expire on 3/22.
Congress is likely to pass multiple mini-bus spending bills (vs. one large omnibus bill).
FY 24 THUD Budget – Update – On 3/3, congressional leaders released a final FY24 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
(THUD) spending bill that provides significant funding for HUD’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs. Overall, the
final spending bill provides HUD programs with $70 billion, which is $8.3 billion more than FY23-enacted levels.
The final spending bill provides significant resources for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which was funded at $32.4
billion, or a $2.1 billion increase over FY23-enacted levels. This funding level is higher than the levels proposed in either the House
or Senate versions, which could have led to a loss of 80,000 to 112,000 housing vouchers, according to the Center on Budget and
Policy Priorities. As a result of the higher funding level, there should be sufficient resources to renew all existing rental assistance
contracts and expand rental assistance to an additional 3,000 households.
The bill also provides increased or level resources for:
 • $4.05 billion for the Homeless Assistance Grants program ($418 million increase in funding from FY23-enacted levels).
 • $3.41 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund ($30 million compared to last year’s levels), and $5.5 billion for the Public
 Housing Operating Fund ($367 million more than in FY23).
 • $16 billion for PBS8 ($1.1 billion increase from FY 23).
The bill provides level funding for:
 • $505 million for Housing for Persons with AIDs (HOPWA).
 • $86 million for Fair Housing programs.
 • $57.5 million for Housing Counseling.
 • $22 million for Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants.
 • $20 million for the Eviction Prevention Grant program.
The bill provides decreased funding for:
 • $1.25 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (a $250 million cut).
 • $75 million for Choice Neighborhoods (a $275 million cut).
 • $913 million for Section 202 Housing for the Elderly (a $162 million cut).
 • $208 million for Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities (a $152 million cut).
 • $119 million for Policy Development and Research (a $26 million cut).
 • $345 million for Healthy Homes (a $65 million cut).
 BILLS – Updates
Farm Bill – Update – At a House Agriculture Committee hearing on 2/14/24, Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) proposed a
funding framework for the Farm Bill that included a $30 billion cut in SNAP benefits over 10 years. SNAP is the most effective tool
for addressing food insecurity in the nation. Per CBPP, “this proposal would limit USDA’s future adjustments to the cost of the
Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is used to set SNAP benefits, to account only for food price inflation. The TFP is a set of foods that is
supposed to represent a frugal but nutritionally adequate diet. A bipartisan directive in the most recent farm bill, enacted in 2018,
requires USDA to periodically reevaluate the TFP to account for factors other than food price inflation, including changes in dietary
guidance and food consumption patterns. This directive led USDA to make a substantial TFP adjustment in 2021, making up for five
decades of deferred adjustments, through a science-driven process.” Though per the Chairman, average benefits would still rise
each year with food price inflation that would be the only adjustment. Per CBPP “Over time, the scientific evidence on healthy diets
evolves and costs may go up for reasons other than inflation. If Congress limits future updates to cover inflation only, that’s a benefit
cut, as reflected in the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office cost estimate.”
HR 6696 / S 3463 Eviction Prevention Act – No New Update – On 12/11 Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Bob Casey
(D-PA) introduced the “Eviction Prevention Act” (H.R.6696, S.3463) in the House and Senate, respectively. The bill would authorize
new grants to provide legal representation to tenants, create the country’s first federal evictions database, and mandate a
government report on evictions in the U.S.
S 2932 Housing ACCESS Act – No New Update – On 9/26 Senator Markey introduced the Housing ACCESS Act, which would align
housing and services resources and address the barriers providers face when seeking Medicaid reimbursement for housing-related

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services and support. It also requires a national study to determine rates that allow providers to pay living wages, reduce staff
turnover, and ensure evidence-based case ratios. A companion bill is expected in the House.
Farm Bill – No New Update– The US Farm Bill is a critical piece of legislation that sets agricultural policies nationwide for the next
five years. The Farm Bill offers an opportunity to expand/enhance SNAP benefits for low-income households across the country.
Some lawmakers wish to make changes to SNAP through the Farm bill which would reduce eligibility for and availability of SNAP
benefits for households.
HR 5221 Homeless Children and Youth Act – No New Update – On 8/15 Representatives Mikie Sherrill, Bill Posey, Delia Ramirez,
and Don Bacon reintroduced the bipartisan Homeless Children and Youth Act. This bill remedies the issue of most children, youth,
and families experiencing homelessness being ineligible for homeless assistance because they do not meet the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of homelessness by aligning federal definitions of homelessness for children and
youth, streamlining assistance, leveraging resources, and bringing greater visibility to the reality of family and youth homelessness.
S 2701/HR 5254 Housing for All Act of 2023 – No New Update – Introduced by Senator Alex Padilla on 7/27 in the Senate (and by
Rep Ted Lieu in the House on 8/22), this bill would address the homelessness and housing crises, moving towards the goal of
providing for a home for all Americans.
S 1557/ HR 3238 The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act – No New Update – Senators Collins and King cosponsored
bipartisan legislation to create nearly two million new affordable homes across the country – including thousands in Maine. The
Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to provide more homes for
low-income people, support small businesses trying to attract workers, and fill the state’s gap of more than 20,000 affordable
housing units. The bill would:
• Increase the number of credits available to states by 50 percent for the next two years and make the temporary 12.5 percent
 increase secured in 2018 permanent—which has already helped build more than 59,000 additional affordable housing units
 nationwide.
• Stabilize financing for workforce housing projects built using private activity bonds by decreasing the amount of private activity
 bonds needed to secure Housing Credit funding. As a result, projects would have to carry less debt, and more projects would be
 eligible to receive funding.
S 1436, CHARGE Act of 2023 – No New Update – Introduced on 5/3 by Senator Jon Tester, this bill would permanently authorize
additional services for Veterans experiencing homelessness that were authorized at the beginning of the pandemic. These services
include: Basic essentials like food, shelter, clothing, blankets, and hygiene items; Transportation to appointments with service
providers and conducting housing searches; and ways to stay in touch with providers and landlords, such as tablets, smartphones,
and data plans.
HR 3848, Housing Our Military Veterans Effectively Act of 2023 – No New Update – This bill passed the House on 12/5 and was sent
to the Senate for consideration. Introduced on 7/26 by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, this bill would revive crucial services authorized
during the pandemic to provide lifesaving services under the Grant and Per Diem Program (GPD), which funds transitional housing
programs for homeless veterans. These services include transportation to doctor appointments and food banks, communications
devices for hearing impaired veterans, personal care products along with a dearth of other vital services and resources. that have led
to a significant increase in the housing stability and improved the lives of veterans across the country.
S 1257 / HR 3776, Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act – No New Update – This bill was reintroduced in the Senate on
4/25 by Senators Van Hollen and Young. This bipartisan bill would create 250,000 new housing vouchers, paired with mobility-
related services, to help low-income families with young children move to communities of their choice, including neighborhoods
with high-performing schools and high-quality childcare and early education programs.
S 680 / HR 6970 DASH Act – No new update – Reintroduced by Senator Wyden on 3/7, the DASH Act would make a generational
investment to house all people experiencing homelessness, tackle the housing affordability crisis, and expand homeownership
opportunities for young people by creating a new down payment tax credit for first-time homebuyers. On 1/11/24, Representatives
Val Hoyle (D-OR) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) introduced a companion bill in the House. The DASH Act would make stable, safe and
decent housing available for all by:
• Housing everyone experiencing homelessness within five years, and prioritizing children and families for placement, by issuing
 them a Housing Choice Voucher, because young children are heavily impacted by housing instability, and because housing is a
 chief determinant of health;
• Expanding health, child care, financial and nutrition services for families and individuals to stay on a path to unassisted housing
 stability, because the climb out of housing poverty is nearly impossible to complete alone;
• Greatly increasing the production of deeply affordable housing for families exiting homelessness and for low-income households
 by investing in effective, efficient existing programs and reforming the tax code to strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax
 Credit (LIHTC) to weather the economic fallout from the pandemic, as well as establish a Renter's Tax Credit and Middle-Income
 Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC);
• Investing in homeownership in underserved communities and for low income Americans with new tax credits and down
 payment assistance, including a down payment tax credit for first-time homebuyers; and
• Incentivizing environmentally-friendly development strategies and land use policies.
• Permanent authorization of appropriations for McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act grants.

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HR 1708 Housing is a Human Right Act of 2023 – No New Update – On 3/22 Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced the Housing is a
Human Right Act of 2023, which would address root causes of homelessness, meet the needs of community members experiencing
harms from homelessness, transition communities towards providing housing for all, end penalization of homelessness, and ensure
full democratic participation and inclusion of persons experiencing homelessness, and for other purposes.
S 255 Asylum Seekers Work Authorization Act of 2023 – No New Update – On 2/3 Senators Collins and Sinema reintroduced the
Asylum Seekers Work Authorization Act of 2023, which would make asylum seekers eligible to receive work authorizations starting
30 days after filing an asylum application. Senator King is an original co-sponsor. On 3/1, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
reintroduced the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act in the House.
HR 9587 Tenants’ Right to organize Act – No new update – On 12/19 Rep. Andy Levin introduced the Tenant’s Right to Organize Act.
Per NLIHC, the bill would “protect the organizing rights of tenants with Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) and tenants living in Low-
Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties. Currently, only public housing tenants have a legally recognized right to organize. In
extending the right to organize to HCV and LIHTC tenants, the bill recognizes that all tenants have the right to decent, safe, stable,
and sanitary housing.”
 RULES/Other Federal Items of Note
Supreme Court Case Re. Homelessness – No new update – The U.S. Supreme Court announced on 1/12 that it will hear Johnson v.
City of Grants Pass, a case that will determine whether people experiencing homelessness have a constitutional right to camp on
public property when they do not have a place to sleep. The Supreme Court will decide whether laws regulating camping on public
property constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.

Proposed Rule to Provide 30-Day Notice before Initiating Eviction Proceedings for Non-Payment of Rent – No new update – HUD
will hold a listening session for tenants regarding a proposed rule that would require a public housing agency (PHA) or owner of a
property assisted with Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) to provide a 30-day notice to a household before starting a formal
judicial eviction procedure to terminate a lease for non-payment of rent. The listening session is scheduled for 12:30 pm ET on
January 23. Register for the session here.


State Update: Please see the Bill Tracking document for the State legislature Update.




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131ST LEGISLATURE SECOND SESSION BILL TRACKING SHORT LIST OF KEY BILLS
The Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature begins January 3, 2024. Statutory adjournment is April 17, 2024. REVISED: 3/5/24
USEFUL LINKS
 ● Maine Legislature Homepage: http://legislature.maine.gov/
 ● Sign up to Testify and/or submit testimony here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/
Common Acronyms: AFA = Appropriations and Financial Affairs. HHS = Health and Human Services. OTP = Ought to Pass. OTP-AM = Ought to Pass as Amended. ONTP = Ought
Not to Pass.
Color code: Orange font = Budget bill; Black font = Homelessness related bill; Blue font = Service related; Green font = Housing/Rental Assistance related; Purple font = General
Assistance & Safety Net related bills; Pink font = Food security related bills; highlighted in yellow = passed the House and/or Senate; highlighted in green = signed by the
Governor and will become Public Law; Red text = the bill is now dead.
 BUDGET BILLS
 Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
 LD 2214 Governor’s Bill An Act Making Unified Supplemental Public Hearing 2/23/24 The Governor released her Supplemental Budget.
 Appropriations and Allocations for the - Part GG and Part HH - Part A; Part B; General Fund Bill Language.
 Expenditures of State Government, General Fund AFA Committee ● PART FF: establishes the Office of New Americans within the
 and Other Funds, and Changing Certain Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and also
 Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Public Hearing 2/26/24 establishes an advisory council to the Office of New
 Operations of State Government for the - Part OO Americans
 Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2024 and June 30, ● PART GG: Transfers $10,000,000 from the unappropriated
 2025 Work Session 3/7/24 surplus of the General Fund to the Maine State Housing
 (aka Supplemental Budget)
 Authority for new housing units through the Affordable
 Homeownership program

 ● PART HH: $16 million for the Emergency Housing Relief
 Fund (one-time funding): Emergency Housing Relief Fund
 Program, Other Special Revenue Funds account to
 supplement or establish programs addressing the needs of
 people experiencing homelessness or facing other
 immediate housing needs, and support other uses that
 address housing emergencies in the State, such as through
 privately-operated low barrier shelter, winter warming
 shelters, legal services, and other wraparound settlement
 supports intended to help individuals integrate into Maine’s
 workforce and communities to ensure that winter warming
 shelters, lower barrier shelters, longer term shelters and
 transitional housing programs can remain open, operating,
 and supporting the emergency housing needs of Maine
 people. -Part A specifies this is one-time funding.

 ● Part OO: This Part requires the transfer of $5,000,000 on or
 before June 30, 2025 from the unappropriated surplus of the
 General Fund to the Department of Health and Human
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 Services, General Assistance – Reimbursement to Cities and
 Towns program, Other Special Revenue Funds account for
 funding General Assistance payments to cities and towns.
 HOMELESSNESS BILLS
  Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 1422 Rep. Michael An Act to End Homelessness and Assist Students Passed to be Enacted, This bill establishes a housing voucher program for homeless students
 Brennan Who Are Homeless by Establishing a Housing placed on the Special under the authority of the Maine State Housing Authority and
 Voucher Program and Providing Site-based Appropriations Table appropriates one-time funding of $2 million in fiscal years 2023-24 and
 pending Passage to be 2024-25. The bill directs the Maine State Housing Authority to identify
 Housing Services
 Enacted – CARRIED 3 sites in Maine to be used for a site-based housing program and
 OVER appropriates one-time funding of $3.5 million in fiscal years 2023-24
 and 2024-25 to the DHHS to support the program.
LD 2136 Rep A Mastraccio An Act to Provide Financial Support for Shelters Public Hearing, This bill, as amended by the Committee, provides ongoing
 for Unhoused Individuals Tuesday 1/23/24; Work funds for homeless shelters – allocating $10 million beginning
 Session 1/30/24 and next fiscal year, and $2.5 million for low-barrier shelters. The
 2/20/24 – Housing Committee amendment makes the bill an emergency and adds
 Committee – OTP-AM a Legislative Study.
 unanimous of all
 present
LD 2146 Rep. G Lookner An Act to Prohibit Certain Municipalities from House Passed to be This bill prohibits municipalities with populations exceeding
 Adopting Moratoria on Emergency Shelters Engrossed by 30,000 people from adopting moratoria on the establishment
 Committee of emergency shelters that provide temporary shelter for
 Amendment A on persons experiencing homelessness.
 2/22; the Senate
 accepted the Minority
 Ought Not to Pass
 Report - sent back to
 the House.
 SERVICE BILLS
  Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 1975 Rep. Lydia Crafts An Act to Implement a Statewide Public Health Public hearing held This bill establishes the Substance Use, Health and Safety Fund
 Response to Substance Use and Amend the Laws 1/17/24; Work Session in the Department of Health and Human Services. Money
 Governing Scheduled Drugs 3/6/24 deposited in the fund must be used by the department to
 oversee, approve and provide grants and funding to agencies,
 organizations and service providers, including the federally
 recognized Indian tribes in this State and service providers that
 are affiliated with federally recognized Indian tribes in this
 State, to increase voluntary access to community care for
 persons who need services related to substance use, as set
 forth in the bill. By June 30, 2024, and annually thereafter, the
 Legislature must appropriate to the fund an amount sufficient
 to fully fund the services as set forth in the bill. The bill repeals
 the laws that make possession of a schedule W, X, Y or Z drug

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 and use of drug paraphernalia a crime. It also repeals the laws
 governing the civil violation of use of drug paraphernalia and
 possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
 HOUSING/RENTAL ASSISTANCE BILLS
  Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 1074 Sen. Matthea An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Public Hearing on 4/25 - $100,000,000 bond issue to build new affordable housing for
 Daughtry Fund New Affordable Housing for Low-Income AFA Committee – Carried low-income households.
 Households Over
LD 226 Rep. Rebecca An Act to Address Maine’s Affordable Housing Passed to be Enacted, This bill provides one-time funds to MaineHousing in the amount of
 Millett Crisis placed on the Special $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2023-24 and in fiscal year 2024-25 (only
 Appropriations Table these FYs) to increase affordable housing stock in the State.
 pending Passage to be
 Enacted – Carried over
LD 1540 Rep. Rebecca An Act to Create the Stable Home Fund Program Emergency bill requiring This bill, which includes an emergency preamble and emergency
 Millett 2/3’s majority vote – clause, creates the Stable Home Fund and the Stable Home Fund
 failed 2/3’s majority vote Program within MaineHousing. The purpose of the program is to
 in the House but Passed provide persons earning up to 60% of the median income for an area
 in the Senate to be as defined by HUD with $300 per month in rental assistance paid
 Placed on the Special directly to the landlord for up to 24 months or until those persons
 Appropriations Table on secure housing by means of a housing voucher program administered
 by HUD under the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public Law
 6/21. Sent back to the
 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended, or secure a subsidized
 House for concurrence
 housing unit. The bill directs MaineHousing to administer the program
 where it failed 2/3’s
 except that MaineHousing may delegate the administration of the
 needed for final passage program and provide appropriate funding from the fund to a municipal
 – Carried over housing authority with respect to eligible persons located within the
 municipal housing authority's jurisdiction.
LD 1710 Rep. Cheryl An Act to Establish the Maine Rental Assistance Public Hearing on 5/12; Sponsor Amendment amends the bill as follows:
 Golek and Guarantee Program and Amend the Laws Work Session 5/26; This amendment replaces the bill. This amendment requires the
 Regarding Tenants and the Municipal General Work Session 5/30; Maine State Housing Authority to establish and administer the
 Assistance Program Work Session 2/13/24 Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program. The program
 – Housing Committee – must include a rental assistance component to assist individuals
 OTP-AM with the cost of rent and a rental guarantee component to
 encourage landlords to work with the program and other rental
 assistance programs in the State. The amendment also creates the
 Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program Fund under the
 Maine State Housing Authority to carry out the program. The bill
 appropriates $16,000,000 of ongoing funds annually.
 The amendment makes it an unfair trade practice for a landlord to
 refuse to participate in a federal, state or local tenant-based rental
 assistance program.
LD 2106 Sen. M Rotundo An Act to Accelerate the Production of Housing Public Hearing This bill increases the maximum tax credit allowed for certified historic
 and Strengthen the Maine Historic Property 1/24/24; Work Session property rehabilitation projects. It also allows nonprofit organizations
 Rehabilitation Tax Credit 2/13 – Taxation that claim the historic preservation tax credit or the affordable housing
 tax credit to file their refund claims on a calendar year basis. The

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 Committee – Divided changes in the bill apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1,
 Report 2024.
 GENERAL ASSISTANCE & SAFETY NET BILLS
  Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 1664 Sen. Marianne An Act to Increase Reimbursement Under the Passed to be Enacted, This bill increases, from 70% to 90%, the amount of state
 Moore General Assistance Program placed on the Special reimbursement for the costs of general assistance incurred by each
 Appropriations Table municipality and Indian tribe.
 pending Passage to be
 Enacted – Carried over
LD 1732 Rep. Michele An Act to Expand the General Assistance Program 1/30/24 Work Session This bill changes the municipal general assistance program in the
 Meyer – HHS Committee – following ways:
 Voted OTP-AM 1. It requires overseers and designated or appointed municipal officials
 administering the program to complete training within 120 days of
 election or appointment;
 2. It requires municipalities to accept applications for general
 assistance during regular business hours;
 3. It amends provisions governing the municipality of responsibility to
 increase the provision of assistance from 30 days to 6 months when a
 municipality assists an applicant in relocating to another community
 and from 6 months to 12 months when an applicant is residing in a
 group home, shelter, rehabilitation center, nursing home or hospital or
 in a hotel, motel or other temporary housing;
 4. It increases, from 70% to 90%, the amount of state reimbursement
 for the costs of general assistance incurred by each municipality and
 Indian tribe. It also provides that, if a municipality elects to determine
 need without consideration of funds from a municipally controlled
 trust, the State is required to reimburse the municipality for 66 2/3%
 of the amount in excess of expenditures;
 5. It provides state reimbursement for additional program costs,
 including emergency general assistance, temporary housing,
 interpreter services and administrative expenses; and
 6. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide
 the services necessary to support municipalities, including education
 and training for certain state employees the delivery of
 trauma-informed and culturally and linguistically appropriate services,
 written decisions and a database.
 FOOD SECURITY BILLS
  Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 568 Rep. Matthew An Act to Provide Funding for the State Fund to Passed to be Enacted in This bill provides ongoing General Fund appropriations of $600,000 to
 Pouliot Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition the House and Senate. the Fund To Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition Incentives
 Incentives Placed on the Special within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The
 Appropriations Table – bill also removes the $50,000 limit on matching contributions from the
 Carried over fund criteria.

 BILLS THAT ARE NOW DEAD
  Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes

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LD 2138 Rep C Madigan An Act to Improve Funding for Homeless Shelters This bill is now DEAD This resolve, as amended by the Sponsor, provides ongoing
 (instead incorporated funds for low-barrier homeless shelters – allocating $2.5 million
 in LD 2136 above) beginning next fiscal year.
LD 1426 Rep. Kristi An Act to Secure Housing for the Most Vulnerable This bill is now DEAD This bill:
 Mathieson Maine Residents by Amending the Laws Governing 1. Requires an overseer, no later than the 120th day following
 Municipal General Assistance appointment or election, to complete training on the requirements of
 the municipal GA program;
 2. Replaces, for determining the maximum level of assistance, the fair
 market value determination with setting the assistance at the
 equivalent amount of rental assistance provided for tenant-based
 housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the United States Housing
 Act of 1937 except that the benefit level may not be less than the
 difference between the applicant's income and 110% of the area's fair
 market rent;
 3. Provides that if general assistance is being used to pay rent for an
 applicant whose rent is subject to a lease an overseer may
 redetermine the applicant's eligibility annually;
 4. Increases from 70% to 90% the amount of state reimbursement for
 the costs of GA incurred by a municipality and each Indian tribe;
 5. Directs DHHS to reimburse each municipality for 5% of the direct
 costs of paying benefits incurred through GA program;
 6. Directs DHHS to establish and provide overseers with access to a
 statewide database for tracking applicants for the GA program and
 expenses relating to the program; and
 7. Requires DHHS to provide assistance to municipalities with regard to
 processing applications for the GA program and directs the
 department to establish a hotline that is available 24 hours per day in
 order to provide consistent, accurate advice to overseers. It also
 requires the department to respond to requests for assistance within
 24 hours
LD 1675 Rep. Michael An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the General This bill is now DEAD This bill amends the law governing the General Assistance (GA)
 Brennan Assistance Program Regarding Eligibility, Housing program to provide that a municipality must calculate housing
 Assistance and State Reimbursement and to assistance equivalent to the amount of rental assistance provided for
 tenant-based housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the United
 Establish a Working Group
 States Housing Act of 1937. The bill extends the period of eligibility
 from one month to 6 months. Beginning July 1, 2023, when a
 municipality incurs net general assistance costs in excess of 0.008% of
 that municipality's most recent state valuation relative to the state
 fiscal year for which reimbursement is being issued, DHHS must
 reimburse the municipality for 90% of the amount in excess of these
 expenditures. The bill also directs the department to establish a
 working group to study and make recommendations related to a
 uniform intake process and the conversion of the GA program into a
 housing assistance program.




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 REVISED: 3/6/24
131ST LEGISLATURE SECOND REGULAR SESSION BILL TRACKING
The Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature begins January 3, 2024. Statutory adjournment is April 17, 2024.
USEFUL LINKS
 ● Maine Legislature Homepage: http://legislature.maine.gov/
 ● Maine Legislature YouTube Channels for Legislative Committees: https://www.youtube.com/mainestatelegislature
 ● Sign up to Testify and/or submit testimony here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/
Common Acronyms: AFA = Appropriations and Financial Affairs. HHS = Health and Human Services. OTP = Ought to Pass. OTP-AM = Ought to Pass as Amended.
ONTP = Ought Not to Pass.
BILLS
Color code: Orange font = Budget bill; Black font = Homelessness related bill; Blue font = Service related; Green font = Housing/Rental Assistance related; Purple font = General
Assistance & Safety Net related bills; Pink font = Food security related bills; highlighted in yellow = passed the House and/or Senate; highlighted in green = signed by the
Governor and will become Public Law; Red text = the bill is now dead.
 BUDGET BILLS
 Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
 LD 2214 Governor’s Bill An Act Making Unified Supplemental Public Hearing The Governor released her Supplemental Budget.
 Appropriations and Allocations for the 2/23/24 - Part GG and Part A; Part B; General Fund Bill Language.
 Expenditures of State Government, General Fund Part HH - AFA ● PART FF: establishes the Office of New Americans within the
 and Other Funds, and Changing Certain Committee Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and also establishes
 Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper an advisory council to the Office of New Americans
 Operations of State Government for the Public Hearing ● PART GG: Transfers $10,000,000 from the unappropriated
 Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2/26/24 - Part OO surplus of the General Fund to the Maine State Housing
 2025 Authority for new housing units through the Affordable
 (aka Supplemental Budget) Work Session 3/7/24 Homeownership program

 ● PART HH: $16 million for the Emergency Housing Relief Fund
 (one-time funding): Emergency Housing Relief Fund Program,
 Other Special Revenue Funds account to supplement or
 establish programs addressing the needs of people
 experiencing homelessness or facing other immediate housing
 needs, and support other uses that address housing
 emergencies in the State, such as through privately-operated
 low barrier shelter, winter warming shelters, legal services, and
 other wraparound settlement supports intended to help
 individuals integrate into Maine’s workforce and communities
 to ensure that winter warming shelters, lower barrier shelters,
 longer term shelters and transitional housing programs can
 remain open, operating, and supporting the emergency housing
 needs of Maine people. -Part A specifies this is one-time
 funding.


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 ● Part OO: This Part requires the transfer of $5,000,000 on or
 before June 30, 2025 from the unappropriated surplus of the
 General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services,
 General Assistance – Reimbursement to Cities and Towns
 program, Other Special Revenue Funds account for funding
 General Assistance payments to cities and towns.

 HOMELESSNESS BILLS
 Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 1422 Rep. Michael An Act to End Homelessness and Assist Students Passed to be Enacted, This bill establishes a housing voucher program for homeless
 Brennan Who Are Homeless by Establishing a Housing placed on the Special students under the authority of the Maine State Housing Authority
 Voucher Program and Providing Site-based Housing Appropriations Table and appropriates one-time funding of $2 million in fiscal years
 Services pending Passage to be 2023-24 and 2024-25. The bill directs the Maine State Housing
 Enacted – CARRIED Authority to identify 3 sites in Maine to be used for a site-based
 OVER housing program and appropriates one-time funding of $3.5
 million in fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 to the Department of
 Health and Human Services to support the program.
LD 2136 Rep A An Act to Provide Financial Support for Shelters for Public Hearing, This bill, as amended by the Committee, provides ongoing
 Mastraccio Unhoused Individuals Tuesday 1/23/24; funds for homeless shelters – allocating $10 million beginning
 Work Session 1/30/24 next fiscal year, and $2.5 million for low-barrier shelters. The
 and 2/20/24 – Committee amendment makes the bill an emergency and adds
 Housing Committee – a Legislative Study.
 OTP-AM unanimous of
 all present
LD 2146 Rep. G Lookner An Act to Prohibit Certain Municipalities from House Passed to be This bill prohibits municipalities with populations exceeding
 Adopting Moratoria on Emergency Shelters Engrossed by 30,000 people from adopting moratoria on the establishment
 Committee of emergency shelters that provide temporary shelter for
 Amendment A on persons experiencing homelessness.
 2/22; the Senate
 accepted the Minority
 Ought Not to Pass
 Report - sent back to
 the House.
 SERVICE BILLS
 Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 540 Rep. Melanie An Act to Establish Peer Respite Centers for Adults Passed to be Enacted, This bill requires the department to establish through contracts
 Sachs with Mental Health Challenges in Maine placed on the Special 2 peer respite centers in the State for persons 18 years of age
 Appropriations Table or older. The centers must provide 24-hour intentional peer
 pending Passage to be support to persons in need of mental health services on a
 Enacted – Carried over voluntary, short-term basis.


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LD 599 Rep. Michael An Act to Provide Support Services for a Passed to be Enacted, This bill provides ongoing funding for support services for a
 Brennan Transitional Housing Program for Homeless Persons placed on the Special transitional housing program in Portland.
 Appropriations Table
 pending Passage to be
 Enacted – Carried over
LD 1975 Rep. Lydia An Act to Implement a Statewide Public Health Public hearing held This bill establishes the Substance Use, Health and Safety Fund
 Crafts Response to Substance Use and Amend the Laws 1/17/24; in the Department of Health and Human Services. Money
 Governing Scheduled Drugs deposited in the fund must be used by the department to
 oversee, approve and provide grants and funding to agencies,
 organizations and service providers, including the federally
 recognized Indian tribes in this State and service providers that
 are affiliated with federally recognized Indian tribes in this
 State, to increase voluntary access to community care for
 persons who need services related to substance use, as set
 forth in the bill. By June 30, 2024, and annually thereafter, the
 Legislature must appropriate to the fund an amount sufficient
 to fully fund the services as set forth in the bill. The bill repeals
 the laws that make possession of a schedule W, X, Y or Z drug
 and use of drug paraphernalia a crime. It also repeals the laws
 governing the civil violation of use of drug paraphernalia and
 possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
LD 2082 Sen. R Bennett An Act to Ensure the Financial Stability of Public Hearing This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services
 Behavioral Health Service and Housing Providers 1/24/24; Work to pay administrative expenses and interest charged on lines of
 Session 2/6/24 and credit or loans accessed by behavioral health services providers
 3/6/24 – HHS and housing assistance providers when a delay in department
 Committee contract award, finalization or payments requires the provider
 to access the line of credit or loan.
LD 2237 Speaker R An Act to Strengthen Public Safety, Health and Public Hearing 3/4/24 This bill includes parts A-F. Click here for the full bill text. Relevant
 Talbot Ross Well-being by Expanding Services and Coordinating – HHS Committee parts are below.
 Violence Prevention Resources This bill enacts provisions to improve mental health crisis response
 services and to reduce violence, including gun violence.
 Part A provides funding to strengthen and expand mental health crisis
 intervention mobile response services in order to provide services 24
 hours a day, 7 days a week. It requires the Department of Health and
 Human Services to provide for the incorporation of specific types of
 mental health and crisis intervention experts into the existing crisis
 services response system. It also provides funding for ancillary services
 for mobile response services, including necessary travel and telephone
 conferences with clients. Part A also requires the Department of
 Health and Human Services, by January 30, 2025, in coordination with
 the Department of Public Safety, to ensure the coordination of services
 under the State's E-9-1-1 system and the State's 9-8-8 mobile crisis
 services system. By January 30, 2026, the Department of Health and
 Human Services must submit a status report related to the

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 coordination of services, including suggested legislation, to the joint
 standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health
 and human services matters, and the joint standing committee may
 submit a bill relating to the report to the Second Regular Session of
 the 132nd Legislature.
 Part B directs the Department of Health and Human Services to
 establish crisis receiving centers across the State to support individuals
 dealing with behavioral health, mental health or substance use issues.
 At a minimum, a crisis receiving center must be established in
 Androscoggin, Aroostook, Oxford, Penobscot, Washington and York
 counties. Crisis receiving centers must provide culturally sensitive
 trauma-informed care. Part B also provides funding to establish 6 crisis
 receiving centers.
 Part D provides funding to reduce waiting lists for and expand access
 to medication management services, including telehealth services and
 employee recruitment and retention incentives, provided by the Office
 of Behavioral Health that are similar to the services provided under
 Department of Health and Human Services rule Chapter 101:
 MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 65, Behavioral Health
 Services, to meet the timely access requirements under the consent
 decree referenced in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 34-B, section
 1217.
2243 Sen. T Stewart Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Public Hearing on This resolve directs the Department of Health and Human Services to
 Human Services to Amend MaineCare Rules 3/7/24 at 2:30pm - amend the MaineCare rules governing reimbursement for outpatient
 Governing Certain Types of Behavioral and Mental HHS Committee behavioral health services provided in public schools under the
 MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapters II and III, Section 65 and for
 Health Services and to Form a Stakeholder Group
 services provided in residential treatment facilities for persons with
 to Study Methods for Improving Those Services
 mental illness and in specialized or scattered residential treatment
 facilities as described in the MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter III,
 Section 97, Appendices E and F, respectively. The department must
 initiate the rule-making process immediately after the resolve goes
 into effect, and the rules must remain in effect until the department
 completes a full rate determination. Finally, the resolve requires the
 department to form a stakeholder group to study how to develop
 more sustainable models of outpatient and residential mental and
 behavioral health treatment services and how to increase access to
 those services within the State. By January 1, 2025, the stakeholder
 group must submit a report to the department, and by January 15,
 2025, the department must submit to the joint standing committee of
 the Legislature having jurisdiction over health coverage, insurance and
 financial services matters a summary of the report based on the
 stakeholder group's findings and recommendations, including
 suggested legislation. The joint standing committee is authorized to
 report out legislation.

 HOUSING/RENTAL ASSISTANCE BILLS

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 Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 1074 Sen. Matthea An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Public Hearing on 4/25 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of
 Daughtry Fund New Affordable Housing for Low-Income - AFA Committee – $100,000,000, will be used to build new affordable housing for
 Households Carried over low-income households through the construction of new
 structures and adaptive reuse of existing structures.
LD 226 Rep. Rebecca An Act to Address Maine’s Affordable Housing Passed to be Enacted, This bill provides one-time funds to MaineHousing in the amount
 Millett Crisis placed on the Special of $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2023-24 and in fiscal year 2024-25
 Appropriations Table (only these FYs) to increase affordable housing stock in the State.
 pending Passage to be
 Enacted – Carried over
LD 337 Rep. Cheryl An Act to Amend the Regulations of Manufactured Public Hearing, Sponsor Amendment replaces the entire concept draft bill:
 Golek Housing to Increase Affordable Housing Tuesday 1/23/24; This amendment aims to increase affordable housing by allowing
 Work Session 1/30/24 manufactured housing (modular and “newer mobile homes” as
 – Housing Committee defined) to be located on lots where single family homes are
 voted OTP-AM allowed. This includes only 1)“newer mobile homes” built after
 1976 that are constructed in compliance with the United States
 Department of Housing and Urban Development standards, and 2)
 modular homes that the manufacturer certifies are constructed in
 compliance with Title 10, chapter 951, and rules adopted under
 that chapter.
LD 853 Rep. Benjamin RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Public Hearing, This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to
 Collings Constitution of Maine to Establish a Right to Tuesday 1/23/24; declare that all individuals have a natural, inherent and unalienable
 Housing Work Session 1/30/24 right to housing.
 & 2/6/24 – Housing
 Committee – Divided Constitutional referendum - the municipal officers of this State
 Report shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and
 plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a
 statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of
 November following the passage of this resolution, to vote upon
 the ratification of the amendment proposed in this resolution by
 voting upon the following question: "Do you favor amending the
 Constitution of Maine to declare that all individuals have a natural,
 inherent and unalienable right to housing?"
LD 1294 Rep. Traci Gere An Act to Implement Several Recommendations of House Passed to be This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill
 the Commission to Increase Housing Opportunities Engrossed as would implement certain recommendations of the Commission To
 in Maine by Studying Land Use Regulations and Amended by Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Land Use
 Short-term Rentals Committee Regulations and Short-term Rentals.
 Amendment A on
 2/28/24; Senate Read
 once on 2/29/24 and
 assigned to next
 Legislative Day.
LD 1298 Rep. Charles An Act to Allow a Local Option Sales Tax on Public Hearing 2/13; This bill allows a municipality to impose a local option sales tax of
 Skold Short-term Lodging to Fund Affordable Housing Work Session 2/13/24 1% on short-term lodging that is subject to the state sales and use

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 and 2/27/24 – tax if approved by referendum of the voters in that municipality.
 Taxation Committee - The revenue from the local option sales tax must be distributed to
 Divided Report the municipality imposing the local option sales tax. The
 distributed revenue must be used in municipal programs that
 support affordable housing development in that municipality,
 including rental assistance for lower income households or
 moderate-income households. Revenue received by a municipality
 may not be used to reduce or eliminate funding otherwise due the
 municipality under other provisions of law. The local option sales
 tax may not take effect before July 1, 2024.
LD 1490 Rep. Chris An Act to Reduce Rental Housing Costs by Work Session held This bill provides that at or prior to the commencement of a
 Kessler Eliminating Additional Fees at or Prior to the 1/16/24 – Judiciary tenancy, a landlord, the landlord's agent or a real estate broker
 Commencement of Tenancy Committee – Divided may not require a tenant or prospective tenant to pay an amount
 Report in excess of the rent for the first full month of occupancy, a security
 deposit and the purchase and installation cost for a key and lock.
LD 1493 Rep. Raegan An Act to Increase Affordable Housing by Passed to be Enacted, This bill authorizes the creation of Pine Tree Housing Zones to
 LaRochelle Expanding Tax Increment Financing placed on the Special allow retained value resulting from a tax increment financing
 Appropriations Table district in a municipality to be used anywhere in the municipality
 pending Passage to be for the purposes of the purchase, rehabilitation or establishment
 Enacted – Carried over of affordable and workforce housing in the municipality. The bill
 provides for a sales tax exemption for the associated purchasing of
 goods and services and electricity for a qualified project in a Pine
 Tree Housing Zone.
LD 1505 Rep. Kristen An Act to Amend the Maine Cooperative Signed by the This bill amends the Maine Cooperative Affordable Housing
 Cloutier Affordable Housing Ownership Act Governor - will Ownership Act to include group equity cooperatives. It also
 become Public Law provides that a housing assistance program must be made
 reasonably available to residents of housing cooperatives.
LD 1540 Rep. Rebecca An Act to Create the Stable Home Fund Program Emergency bill This bill, which includes an emergency preamble and emergency
 Millett requiring 2/3’s clause, creates the Stable Home Fund and the Stable Home Fund
 majority vote – failed Program within MaineHousing. The purpose of the program is to
 2/3’s majority vote in provide persons earning up to 60% of the median income for an
 the House but Passed area as defined by HUD with $300 per month in rental assistance
 in the Senate to be paid directly to the landlord for up to 24 months or until those
 Placed on the Special persons secure housing by means of a housing voucher program
 administered by HUD under the United States Housing Act of 1937,
 Appropriations Table
 Public Law 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended, or secure a
 on 6/21. Sent back to
 subsidized housing unit. The bill directs MaineHousing to
 the House for
 administer the program except that MaineHousing may delegate
 concurrence where it
 the administration of the program and provide appropriate funding
 failed 2/3’s needed for from the fund to a municipal housing authority with respect to
 final passage – Carried eligible persons located within the municipal housing authority's
 over jurisdiction.
LD 1672 Rep. Traci Gere An Act to Establish an Affordable Housing Public Hearing held This bill establishes the Affordable Housing Development Review
 Permitting Process 1/5/24; Work Session Board under the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and
 1/26/24 and 2/6/24 – Forestry's Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use Planning

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 Housing Committee – in order to issue permits for the development of affordable
 Voted ONTP housing and workforce housing.
LD 1673 Rep. Traci Gere An Act to Encourage Affordable Housing and Public Hearing on As Amended, this bill would establish a resolve to create a working
 Mixed-use Development by Establishing a Thriving 5/12; Work Session group to design a cross-agency plan. The Working Group would
 Corridors Program 1/12/24; Work consists of the Commissioners of: DOT, EPA, DECD, ACF, Housing,
 Session 1/26/24 – GOPIF.
 Housing Committee –
 Unanimous OTP-AM
LD 1710 Rep. Cheryl An Act to Establish the Maine Rental Assistance Public Hearing on Sponsor Amendment amends the bill as follows:
 Golek and Guarantee Program and Amend the Laws 5/12; Work Session This amendment replaces the bill. This amendment requires the
 Regarding Tenants and the Municipal General 5/26; Work Session Maine State Housing Authority to establish and administer the
 Assistance Program 5/30; Work Session Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program. The program
 2/13/24 – Housing must include a rental assistance component to assist individuals
 Committee – OTP-AM with the cost of rent and a rental guarantee component to
 encourage landlords to work with the program and other rental
 assistance programs in the State. The amendment also creates the
 Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program Fund under the
 Maine State Housing Authority to carry out the program. The bill
 appropriates $16,000,000 of ongoing funds annually.
 The amendment makes it an unfair trade practice for a landlord to
 refuse to participate in a federal, state or local tenant-based rental
 assistance program.
LD 1721 Sen. Jill Duson An Act to Create Transitional Housing Communities Passed to be Enacted This bill creates the Transitional Housing Community Construction
 for Homeless Populations in the State in the House on Program Fund under MaineHousing to create transitional housing
 2/27/24 and the communities, which are clusters of transitional housing dwelling
 Senate on 2/28. This units for homeless individuals and families to provide stability and
 bill now goes to the to allow the individuals and families to transition to permanent
 Governor for housing. The bill directs that transitional housing communities be
 signature. created throughout the State designed to cover all 16 counties.
 The bill directs DHHS, through independent housing services under
 its administration of assisted housing programs, to coordinate,
 arrange or provide services including job training and health care
 services for residents of transitional housing communities. The bill
 also provides one-time funding MaineHousing to create
 transitional housing communities and funding to the department
 to provide independent housing services to residents of
 transitional housing.
LD 1867 Rep. Grayson An Act to Establish the Community Housing and Passed to be Enacted This bill establishes the Community Housing and Rural
 Lookner Rural Development Authority in the House on Development Authority within the Maine Redevelopment Land
 2/27/24; on 2/28 Bank Authority to develop, own, lease and maintain mixed-income,
 Senate Placed on the permanently affordable public residential housing in this State.
 Special Appropriations
 Table pending Passage
 to be Enacted.

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LD 2106 Sen. M Rotundo An Act to Accelerate the Production of Housing and Public Hearing This bill increases the maximum tax credit allowed for certified historic
 Strengthen the Maine Historic Property 1/24/24; Work property rehabilitation projects. It also allows nonprofit organizations
 Rehabilitation Tax Credit Session 2/13 – that claim the historic preservation tax credit or the affordable housing
 tax credit to file their refund claims on a calendar year basis. The
 Taxation Committee –
 changes in the bill apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1,
 Divided Report
 2024.
LD 2158 Rep. C Golek An Act to Improve the Housing Voucher System Public Hearing This bill does the following regarding housing vouchers.
 1/30/24; Work 1. It requires MaineHousing to collect data regarding and to submit
 Session 2/2/24 and applications to HUD for waivers that:
 A. Allow MaineHousing to enter into contracts at a higher rate than
 2/20/24 – Housing
 the fair market rental rate as established by HUD. The waiver may not
 Committee - OTP-AM
 result in fewer housing vouchers being issued than before the waiver
 was obtained;
 B. Allow MaineHousing or a municipal housing authority to establish
 reasonable time limits for the use of housing vouchers issued by the
 MaineHousing or the municipal housing authority; and
 C. Allow MaineHousing or a municipal housing authority to issue
 housing vouchers that may be used upon issuance anywhere within
 the State.
 2. Contingent upon approval of a waiver, it codifies under the powers
 and duties of MaineHousing the power authorized by each waiver.
 3. It requires MaineHousing to submit:
 A. Suggested legislation that requires all housing authorities or public
 corporations created or authorized pursuant to the Maine Revised
 Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 201 to conform their housing voucher
 programs to the housing voucher program administered by
 MaineHousing; and
 B. A report detailing its efforts to obtain the 3 waivers from HUD. The
 joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over
 housing matters is authorized to report out to the 132nd Legislature in
 2025 legislation related to the report and suggested legislation
 submitted by MaineHousing.
LD 2169 Sen. M An Act to Create Workforce Housing to Promote Public Hearing 2/6/24; This bill establishes the Workforce Housing Development Loan Fund in
 Daughtry Economic Development in Maine Work Session 2/13/24, the Department of Economic and Community Development to provide
 2/27/24, and 3/5/24 – loans to support the development of affordable workforce housing.
 The department must solicit applications for loans from the fund
 Housing Committee
 through a competitive application process. Loans may be awarded to
 community banks at an interest rate of 0% to provide funding to
 housing developers to develop housing for employees who earn 60%
 to 120% of the area median income as determined by the United
 States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
LD 2209 Committee Bill An Act to Increase the Cap on Bonds Issued by the Public Hearing and This committee bill is presented by the Joint Select Committee on
 Maine State Housing Authority to Reflect Current Work Session on Housing pursuant to Joint Order 2023, H.P. 3, section 3. The bill
 Housing Production Needs in the State 2/20/24 – Housing increases the cap on mortgage purchase bonds authorized to be
 issued by the Maine State Housing Authority to align with current
 Committee - OTP-AM
 housing production needs in the State.



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 GENERAL ASSISTANCE & SAFETY NET BILLS
 Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 1664 Sen. Marianne An Act to Increase Reimbursement Under the Passed to be Enacted, This bill increases, from 70% to 90%, the amount of state
 Moore General Assistance Program placed on the Special reimbursement for the costs of general assistance incurred by each
 Appropriations Table municipality and Indian tribe.
 pending Passage to be
 Enacted – Carried over
LD 1732 Rep. Michele An Act to Expand the General Assistance Program 1/30/24 Work Session This bill changes the municipal general assistance program in the
 Meyer – HHS Committee – following ways:
 Voted OTP-AM 1. It requires overseers and designated or appointed municipal
 officials administering the program to complete training within 120
 days of election or appointment;
 2. It requires municipalities to accept applications for general
 assistance during regular business hours;
 3. It amends provisions governing the municipality of responsibility
 to increase the provision of assistance from 30 days to 6 months
 when a municipality assists an applicant in relocating to another
 community and from 6 months to 12 months when an applicant is
 residing in a group home, shelter, rehabilitation center, nursing
 home or hospital or in a hotel, motel or other temporary housing;
 4. It increases, from 70% to 90%, the amount of state
 reimbursement for the costs of general assistance incurred by each
 municipality and Indian tribe. It also provides that, if a municipality
 elects to determine need without consideration of funds from a
 municipally controlled trust, the State is required to reimburse the
 municipality for 66 2/3% of the amount in excess of expenditures;
 5. It provides state reimbursement for additional program costs,
 including emergency general assistance, temporary housing,
 interpreter services and administrative expenses; and
 6. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to
 provide the services necessary to support municipalities, including
 education and training for certain state employees the delivery of
 trauma-informed and culturally and linguistically appropriate
 services, written decisions and a database.
 FOOD SECURITY BILLS
 Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 568 Rep. Matthew An Act to Provide Funding for the State Fund to Passed to be Enacted in This bill provides ongoing General Fund appropriations of $600,000
 Pouliot Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition the House and Senate. to the Fund To Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition
 Incentives Placed on the Special Incentives within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and
 Appropriations Table – Forestry. The bill also removes the $50,000 limit on matching
 Carried over contributions from the fund criteria.


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LD 1584 Rep. Holly Stover An Act to Provide Funding for the Supplemental Passed to be Enacted in Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Federal
 Nutrition Assistance Program to Temporarily Restore the House and Senate. Government provided emergency benefit allotments under the
 Benefits Being Reduced by the Federal Government Placed on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. These
 Appropriations Table – emergency benefit allotments are scheduled to expire March 1, 2023.
 Carried over This bill extends for 6 months, but on a decreasing basis, the amount
 of benefits available under SNAP by providing General Fund funds to
 provide the following level of benefits:
 1. In March 2023, 100% of the federal emergency benefit allotment;
 2. In April 2023, 75% of the federal emergency benefit allotment;
 3. In May 2023, 50% of the federal emergency benefit allotment; and
 4. From June through August 2023, 25% of the federal emergency
 benefit allotment.
 Beginning in September 2023, an additional amount is not provided.

 BILLS THE ARE NOW DEAD
 Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes
LD 2138 Rep C Madigan An Act to Improve Funding for Homeless Shelters This bill is now DEAD This resolve, as amended by the Sponsor, provides ongoing
 (instead incorporated funds for low-barrier homeless shelters – allocating $2.5 million
 in LD 2136 above) beginning next fiscal year.
LD 328 Sen. Trey An Act to Improve Mental Health in Maine This bill is now DEAD This bill brings MaineCare regulations into alignment with
 Stewart Dartmouth Assertive Community Treatment Scale fidelity items,
 ensuring high-quality, evidence based Assertive Community
 Treatment (ACT) services for Maine residents with psychotic
 disorders and high needs.
LD 1633 Sen. Pinny An Act to Establish a Community-based Reentry This bill is now DEAD This bill creates a community-based reentry program
 Beebe-Center Program in All Department of Corrections Facilities administered by a community based organization at each
 correctional facility operated by the Department of Corrections.
 The program is a peer-supported program that provides
 individualized reentry plans to incarcerated individuals starting
 from 2 years prior to an individual's release, involving multiple
 meetings to determine the individual's education, job training,
 substance use disorder treatment, housing and other needs
 subsequent to release and follow-up meetings after release to
 support the individual's reentry into the community and to
 reduce or prevent recidivism. This bill also creates the Peer
 Reentry Review Board, which oversees, advises, studies data
 and makes recommendations to the community-based reentry
 program and reports to the Commissioner of Corrections and
 the joint standing committee of the Legislature having
 jurisdiction over criminal justice and public safety matters.
LD 314 Sen. Craig An Act to Establish the Permanent Commission on This Bill is now DEAD This bill would establish the Permanent Commission on the Status
 Hickman the Status of Housing in Maine of Housing in Maine. The commission would be a
 quasi-independent agency funded through the Department of
 Economic and Community Development. Members of the

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 commission would include housing advocates and organizations,
 policy makers, housing developers, housing experts, landlords and
 tenants. The commission would identify the hurdles to
 1developing more housing units and recommend solutions to each
 branch of government.
LD 371 Sen. Jeffrey An Act to Address Certain Local Zoning Ordinances This bill is now DEAD This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill
 Timberlake proposes to address certain local zoning ordinances.
LD 387 Rep. Mark Blier An Act to Promote Affordable Housing by Providing This Bill is now DEAD This bill provides an income tax deduction for income received by a
 a Tax Exemption for Housing Choice Vouchers landlord as tenant based housing assistance payments in the form
 of Section 8 housing choice vouchers administered by the Maine
 State Housing Authority.
LD 721 Sen. Matthea An Act to Preserve Historic Buildings and Promote This Bill is now DEAD This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill
 Daughtry Affordable Housing would enact provisions of law to preserve historic buildings and
 promote affordable housing.
LD 1864 Rep. James An Act to Increase Maine's Housing Supply by This Bill is now DEAD This bill provides restrictions on municipal ordinance requirements
 Boyle Prohibiting Certain Zoning Requirements in Areas related to minimum lot size in areas where water and sewer
 Where Public Sewer and Water Infrastructure Are infrastructure are available and in areas where water and sewer
 Available and in Designated Growth Areas infrastructure are not available but that are within designated
 growth areas. For a housing development served by a public,
 special district or other centrally managed water system and a
 public, special district or other comparable sewer system and that
 is located in an area in which dwelling units are allowed, a
 municipality must allow a dwelling unit on a lot with a minimum
 size of 5,000 square feet. For a housing development located in a
 designated growth area that is not served by a public, special
 district or other centrally managed water system and a public,
 special district or other comparable sewer system, that complies
 with minimum lot size requirements in accordance with the Maine
 Revised Statutes, Title 12, chapter 423-A and that is located in an
 area in which dwelling units are allowed, a municipality must allow
 a dwelling unit on a lot with a minimum size of 20,000 square feet.
 The bill also provides limits to ordinance provisions relating to lot
 coverage, road frontage and setback requirements.
LD 1904 Speaker Rachel An Act to Enact the Fair Chance Housing Act This Bill is now DEAD This bill establishes the Maine Fair Chance Housing Act, the purpose of
 Talbot Ross which is to ensure that a person is not denied housing based solely on
 the existence of a history of criminal convictions. This bill prohibits a
 housing provider from considering an applicant's criminal history until
 after the housing provider determines that the applicant meets all
 other qualifications for tenancy. A person who is aggrieved by a
 violation of the Maine Fair Chance Housing Act by a housing provider
 may file a grievance with the Maine Human Rights Commission and, if
 it is a violation by a private housing provider, may bring a civil action in
 court.




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LD 1426 Rep. Kristi An Act to Secure Housing for the Most Vulnerable This bill is now DEAD This bill:
 Mathieson Maine Residents by Amending the Laws Governing 1. Requires an overseer, no later than the 120th day following
 Municipal General Assistance appointment or election, to complete training on the requirements
 of the municipal general assistance program;
 2. Replaces, for determining the maximum level of assistance, the
 fair market value determination with setting the assistance at the
 equivalent amount of rental assistance provided for tenant-based
 housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the United States
 Housing Act of 1937 except that the benefit level may not be less
 than the difference between the applicant's income and 110% of
 the area's fair market rent;
 3. Provides that if general assistance is being used to pay rent for
 an applicant whose rent is subject to a lease an overseer may
 redetermine the applicant's eligibility annually;
 4. Increases from 70% to 90% the amount of state reimbursement
 for the costs of general assistance incurred by a municipality and
 each Indian tribe;
 5. Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to
 reimburse each municipality for 5% of the direct costs of paying
 benefits incurred through its general assistance program;
 6. Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to
 establish and provide overseers with access to a statewide
 database for tracking applicants for the general assistance program
 and expenses relating to the program; and
 7. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to
 provide assistance to municipalities with regard to processing
 applications for the general assistance program and directs the
 department to establish a hotline that is available 24 hours per day
 in order to provide consistent, accurate advice to overseers. It also
 requires the department to respond to requests for assistance
 within 24 hours
LD 1675 Rep. Michael An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the General This bill is now DEAD This bill amends the law governing the General Assistance (GA)
 Brennan Assistance Program Regarding Eligibility, Housing program to provide that a municipality must calculate housing
 Assistance and State Reimbursement and to assistance equivalent to the amount of rental assistance provided
 Establish a Working Group for tenant-based housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the
 United States Housing Act of 1937. The bill extends the period of
 eligibility from one month to 6 months. Beginning July 1, 2023,
 when a municipality incurs net general assistance costs in excess of
 0.008% of that municipality's most recent state valuation relative
 to the state fiscal year for which reimbursement is being issued,
 DHHS must reimburse the municipality for 90% of the amount in
 excess of these expenditures. The bill also directs the department
 to establish a working group to study and make recommendations
 related to a uniform intake process and the conversion of the GA
 program into a housing assistance program.

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LD 1940 Sen. Craig An Act to Promote Consistent Policies within Growth This Bill is now DEAD This bill amends the laws governing planning and land use regulation
 Hickman Management Programs in Order to Increase Food to encourage:
 Security and Economic Resiliency in Local 1. Municipalities to ensure that the language and requirements in
 Communities charters, policies, codes, regulations, bylaws and fees align with each
 other and meet the overall intent of the comprehensive plan approved
 by the legislative body;
 2. Municipalities to develop policies that assess community needs and
 environmental, food security and economic resiliency effects of
 municipal regulations, lessen the effect of excessive parking
 requirements for buildings in downtowns and on main streets and
 provide for alternative approaches for compliance relating to the reuse
 of upper floors of buildings in downtowns and on main streets; and
 3. In the development of affordable housing, municipalities and
 multimunicipal regions to establish policies that assess food security
 and economic resiliency effects of municipal regulations.




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