An Act to Support Emergency Housing Facility Construction, Renovation and Acquisition Statewide by Creating a Matching Grant Program Reference to the Joint Select Committee on Housing suggested and ordered printed.
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1844
Committee: Housing
Sponsors: ARFORD, DAUGHTRY, ANKELES, BRENNAN, CYRWAY, GATTINE, GOLEK, MORRIS, PERRY, TALBOT ROSS
Amends: 30-A MRSA §4766

Legislative Document
No. 1844
H.P. 1176
House of Representatives, April 27, 2023
An Act to Support Emergency Housing Facility Construction, 
Renovation and Acquisition Statewide by Creating a Matching 
Grant Program
Reference to the Joint Select Committee on Housing suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ARFORD of Brunswick.
Cosponsored by Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland and
Representatives: ANKELES of Brunswick, BRENNAN of Portland, CYRWAY of Albion, 
GATTINE of Westbrook, GOLEK of Harpswell, MORRIS of Turner, PERRY of Calais, 
Speaker TALBOT ROSS of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §4766 is enacted to read:
§4766.  Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program
1. Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "By-name list" means a comprehensive list of every person experiencing 
homelessness in an area, updated in real time using information collected and shared 
with the person's consent, containing information about the person, including the 
person's name, homeless history, health and housing needs.
B. "Client" means a person receiving services from an emergency housing or shelter 
program.
C. "Emergency housing or shelter program" means any organization that operates a 
facility with the primary purpose of providing temporary shelter for persons 
experiencing homelessness.
D. "Housing first" means an approach to serving persons experiencing homelessness 
that:
(1) Recognizes that a person experiencing homelessness must first be able to access 
a decent, safe place to live;
(2) Does not limit length of stay before stabilizing, improving health, reducing 
harmful behaviors or increasing income of the person;
(3) Prioritizes connecting the person to a permanent home as quickly as possible;
(4) Removes barriers to accessing housing, including requirements for sobriety or 
absence of criminal history of the person; and
(5) Values the person's choices, including where to live and whether to participate 
in support services and does not require the person to participate in support services 
to access or retain housing.
E. "Mainstream resources" means housing, health, social services, employment, 
education and youth programs for which individuals and families experiencing 
homelessness and individuals and families at risk of homelessness may be eligible, 
including the MaineCare program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 
program, the federal State Children's Health Insurance Program and other federal 
programs that assist homeless, indigent or underserved populations.
F. "Program" means the Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program established in 
subsection 2.
G. "Rapid rehousing" means rapidly connecting individuals and families experiencing 
homelessness to permanent housing through a tailored package of assistance that may 
include the use of time-limited financial assistance and targeted supportive services.
2. Program established.  The Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program is 
established within the Maine State Housing Authority.  The program requires applicants to 
match grant requests under the program on a one-to-one basis with funds from a source 
other than state funding.
3. Purpose.  The purpose of the program is to provide grants to emergency housing or 
shelter programs for the construction, renovation or acquisition of a new or existing 
building to house the emergency housing or shelter programs.
4. Recipient criteria. A recipient of a grant under the program must:
A. Be a nonprofit corporation in good standing in the State and qualify as a tax-exempt 
organization under 26 United States Code, Section 501(c)(3) or a municipal 
corporation;
B. Be eligible for funding under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 
United States Code, Section 11301 et seq. (2009);
C. Be a provider of homeless services with at least one year of experience providing 
emergency housing, street outreach, homeless prevention or rapid rehousing activities;
D. Be a regular and active participant in a state-based continuum eligible for 
homelessness funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development and be compliant with the continuum's governance charter and 
performance criteria; 
E. Be a regular and active participant in a regional homeless service hub administered 
by the Maine State Housing Authority serving the region of the recipient by 
participating in hub meetings and providing relevant data to the hubs for the generation 
of a by-name list of persons experiencing homelessness in an area served by the 
recipient;
F. Have board or advisory board representation of persons experiencing homelessness 
or having experienced homelessness who are involved in policy making or planning of 
the recipient; 
G. Participate in a coordinated entry process that links persons who are experiencing 
homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness with appropriate housing or services 
by acting as an access point to the coordinated entry process, administering common 
tools to assess the needs of the persons, placing eligible persons on a housing 
prioritization list, participating in case conferencing meetings and making housing 
referrals using the processes and procedures designated by the continuum in paragraph 
D;
H. Have the administrative and financial management capacity necessary to administer 
and to account for the use of the grant from the program in accordance with the grant's 
funding requirements; 
I. Operate in accordance with the homelessness strategy outlined in the most recent 
consolidated housing and community development plan submitted by the Maine State 
Housing Authority to the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development outlining the State's goals and strategies for using federal funds to meet 
housing and community development needs; 
J. If applicable, meet the procedural and administrative objectives for a grant from the 
program subject to recapture on certain terms and for certain purposes determined by 
the Maine State Housing Authority;
K. If the recipient is a victim services provider, participate in and meet the performance 
and reporting requirements of a homeless management information system that is a 
local information technology system used to collect client data and data on the 
provision of housing and services to individuals and families experiencing 
homelessness and individuals and families at risk of homelessness;
L. Not engage in any explicitly religious activities, including worship, religious 
instruction or proselytizing, as part of the activities and services of the recipient housed 
in a building constructed, renovated or acquired through a grant from the program. If 
religious activities are offered by the recipient, the recipient must offer the religious 
activities at a separate time and location from the activities and services housed in a 
building constructed, renovated or acquired through a grant from the program and 
participation in those religious activities must be voluntary for a person participating 
in activities or receiving services housed in a building constructed, renovated or 
acquired through a grant from the program; 
M. Operate an emergency housing or shelter program free from discrimination on the 
basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, 
ancestry, sexual orientation or gender identity in accordance with applicable federal 
and state fair housing laws;
N. Comply with the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 United States Code, Section 
et seq.; and 
O. Comply with any other requirements of the Maine State Housing Authority. 
5. Emergency housing or shelter program requirements. An emergency housing or 
shelter program of a recipient of a grant under the program must:
A. Provide access 365 days per year to assist clients to meet basic emergency shelter 
needs;
B. Provide adequate sleeping space or beds and a clean and functioning shower and 
toilet facility; 
C. Provide safe and nutritious food, including breakfast or access to breakfast and, if 
open 24 hours per day, provide lunch and dinner or access to lunch and dinner;
D. Treat all clients with dignity and respect, regardless of religious or political beliefs, 
cultural background, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation;
E. Provide shelter or housing services based upon rapid rehousing or a housing first 
approach; 
F. Have admittance and stay policies that are appropriate for the population served and 
do not create unnecessary barriers to clients staying at the facility;
G. Provide access to community resources such as health care, job readiness and 
employment services, mainstream resources and educational services to assist clients 
in achieving housing stability;
H. Assess clients for emergency housing or shelter program eligibility and services to 
enable mobility to permanent housing with adequate supports; 
I. Inform a client of the client's rights and responsibilities, including specific shelter 
policies or house rules;
J. Accept eligible clients regardless of the ability to pay or eligibility for reimbursement 
or actual reimbursement from any 3rd-party source, including local, municipal, state 
or federal funding source;
K. Have no lease requirements for clients; 
L. If serving families with children, provide space for a family other than open 
dormitory style and not require involuntary family separation for admission;
M. Provide separate accommodations for male and female clients consistent with the 
gender identity of the clients; 
N. Protect the privacy, confidentiality and personal information of clients;
O. Provide training, policies, procedures and regular maintenance to encourage, 
improve and maintain the health and safety of clients, volunteers and staff; 
P. Post fire, disaster and other emergency procedures in a conspicuous place and review 
the procedures with each client; 
Q. Maintain a daily and confidential census of clients including precise sleeping 
locations;
R. Operate in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local codes, laws, rules 
and regulations; and 
S. Have written policies and procedures for standards that meet federal guidelines in 
the following areas: 
(1) Nondiscrimination;
(2) Client grievance and appeal of services termination;
(3) Approval of financial transactions;
(4) Record retention;
(5) Procurement;
(6) Whistleblowers;
(7) Access to shelter and services;
(8) Client rights and responsibilities;
(9) Personnel and facility operations;
(10) Health and safety;
(11) Food preparation and distribution;
(12) Electronic data and security;
(13) Fair housing; and 
(14) Drug-free workplace.
6. Request for proposals; amount of grant. The Maine State Housing Authority shall 
award grants on an annual basis and issue a request for proposals to award grants under the 
program no later than January 1st of the year in which a grant will be issued. The program 
shall award a grant of $10,000 per emergency housing bed up to $1,000,000 per recipient.
7. Fund. The Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program Fund, referred to in this 
subsection as "the fund," is established within the Maine State Housing Authority to fund 
grants under the program. The fund may receive money from appropriations, allocations, 
donations and other public or private sources.  The fund is interest-bearing, and interest 
earned by the fund is credited to the fund. Funds in the fund do not lapse but carry over to 
the next fiscal year.
Sec. 2.  Request for proposals. No later than January 1, 2024, the Maine State 
Housing Authority shall issue a request for proposals for grants under the Emergency 
Housing Matching Grant Program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 
4766, for the 2024 grant year under the program.
Sec. 3.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program N430
Initiative: Establishes ongoing base allocations to allow for the expenditure of funds if 
money is received from donations and other public or private sources.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
2023-24
2024-25
All Other
$500
$500
__________
__________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL
$500
$500
Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program N430
Initiative: Provides ongoing appropriations for grants to programs to construct, renovate or 
acquire new or existing buildings to house the emergency housing or shelter programs.
GENERAL FUND
2023-24
2024-25
All Other
$10,000,000
$10,000,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$10,000,000
$10,000,000
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2023-24
2024-25
GENERAL FUND
$10,000,000
$10,000,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
$500
$500
__________
__________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$10,000,500
$10,000,500
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program to award grants 
at $10,000 per emergency housing bed up to $1,000,000 per recipient to program providers 
to construct, renovate or acquire new or existing buildings to house emergency housing or 
shelter programs, including emergency housing 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 
housing navigation and case management services in the building after occupancy. 
Recipients must match the grants on a one-to-one basis from a source other than state 
funding. The bill also includes an appropriations and allocations section.