Resolve, Directing the Maine State Housing Authority To Allow Rental Housing Owners To Apply for Emergency Rental Relief Assistance
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1322
Committee: Labor and Housing
Sponsors: DRINKWATER, ARATA, BLIER

Legislative Document
No. 1322
H.P. 974
House of Representatives, March 30, 2021
Resolve, Directing the Maine State Housing Authority To Allow 
Rental Housing Owners To Apply for Emergency Rental Relief 
Assistance
(EMERGENCY)
Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative DRINKWATER of Milford.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ARATA of New Gloucester, BLIER of Buxton.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, the State is currently in a prolonged state of emergency in which a global 
pandemic has caused widespread unemployment; and
Whereas, thousands of renters statewide who have become unemployed through no 
fault of their own have been unable to meet their rental commitments to their landlords; 
and
Whereas, many landlords in the State have not received rent from their unemployed 
tenants, causing hardship and the inability to pay utilities, bills and mortgage payments; 
and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, be it
Sec. 1.  Maine State Housing Authority to allow rental housing owners to 
apply for emergency rental relief assistance. Resolved:  That the Maine State 
Housing Authority shall allow rental housing owners to apply for emergency rental relief 
assistance from the emergency rental assistance program funded by the United States 
Department of the Treasury in response to the coronavirus disease 2019, also known as 
COVID-19, and the related pandemic.  A rental housing owner who has experienced lost 
rental income due to the COVID-19 pandemic may apply for emergency rental relief 
assistance on behalf of a tenant of the rental housing owner who is not current on the 
tenant's rent and is unwilling or unable to apply for assistance under the program.  For 
purposes of this section, "lost rental income" does not include rent lawfully withheld or not 
paid by the tenant under the provisions of Title 14, chapter 710.  Intentionally falsifying 
lost rental income is a violation of the crime of theft by deception under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 17-A, section 354.
Sec. 2.  Retroactivity. Resolved:  That a housing rental owner may apply for 
emergency rental relief assistance under section 1 for lost rental income incurred on or after 
March 15, 2020.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This resolve directs the Maine State Housing Authority to allow rental housing owners 
to apply for COVID-19 emergency rental relief assistance for lost rental revenue due to 
tenants who are not current on their rent and are unable or unwilling to apply for assistance 
on their own.