An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Maine Affordable Housing Working Group
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1607
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Amends: 30-A MRSA §4753

Legislative Document 
No. 1607 
H.P. 1095 
House of Representatives, February 25, 2016 
An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Maine 
Affordable Housing Working Group 
Reported by Representative HERBIG of Belfast for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development pursuant to Public Law 2015, 
chapter 267, Part QQQQ, section 1. 
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §4753, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3.  Universal application and waiting list.  The Maine State Housing Authority and 
municipal housing authorities shall establish a single, streamlined application for tenant-
based rental assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public Law 412, 
Section 8 by which families may apply for housing assistance in any geographic area of 
the State and shall also establish a statewide, centralized waiting list for that tenant-based 
rental assistance.  The Maine State Housing Authority and municipal housing authorities 
shall establish a method for individuals or families to submit applications and to update 
applications for rental assistance by electronic means. 
The Maine State Housing Authority and the Department of Health and Human Services 
shall ensure that an application submitted pursuant to this subsection may also be used by 
individuals and families to apply for the Bridging Rental Assistance Program established 
in Title 34-B, section 3011 and a federal shelter plus care program authorized by the 
federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Public Law 100-77 (1987) as 
amended by the federal Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to 
Housing Act of 2009, Public Law 111-22, Division B (2009). 
Sec. 2.  Examination of options to increase access to affordable housing 
for families with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income.  To the 
extent funds become available, the Maine State Housing Authority shall examine 
strategies to increase access to affordable housing for persons with incomes at or below 
30% of the area median income, including, but not limited to, increasing the accessibility 
of new housing units built with support from the federal low-income housing tax credit 
program for households with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income. 
The Maine State Housing Authority shall provide a report on its progress in 
increasing access to affordable housing pursuant to this section to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, commerce, research and 
economic development matters by January 15, 2019. 
Sec. 3.  Rental assistance pilot program.  The Maine State Housing Authority 
shall work with municipal housing authorities to identify unused vouchers under the 
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Housing Choice 
Voucher Program and use these vouchers to establish a rental assistance pilot program.  
The Maine State Housing Authority shall design and implement the program based on 
best practices and evidence-based research to provide a comprehensive approach to 
prevent homelessness and promote housing stability, family well-being and self-
sufficiency for families at risk of homelessness. 
The Maine State Housing Authority shall collect and maintain data sufficient to 
evaluate the extent to which the pilot program achieves success in meeting its goals and 
provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over labor, commerce, research and economic development matters by January 15, 2019. 
SUMMARY 
This bill, which contains the recommendations of the working group convened 
pursuant to Public Law 2015, chapter 267, Part QQQQ to evaluate the lack of access to 
affordable housing, is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, 
Commerce, Research and Economic Development pursuant to that law.  The bill directs 
the Maine State Housing Authority and municipal housing authorities to create a single, 
statewide application and waiting list for so-called Section 8 housing and to ensure that 
the application can be filled out online.  The bill directs the Maine State Housing 
Authority and the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the 
application can be used by individuals and families to apply for the federal Shelter Plus 
Care program and the state Bridging Rental Assistance Program.  The bill further directs 
the Maine State Housing Authority to examine options to increase access to affordable 
housing for families with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income and to 
establish a rental assistance pilot program. 
The Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic 
Development has not taken a position on the substance of this bill and by reporting this 
bill out the committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or 
disagrees with any aspect of this bill.  The committee is reporting the bill out for the sole 
purpose of turning the working group's recommendations into a printed bill that can be 
referred to the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in 
the normal course.  The committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency 
in the legislative review of the working group's recommendations.