An Act to Address Mame's Housmg Cr1s1s
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0002
Committee Amendment CA_A_H221 (House)
Amends: 22 MRSA §20-A, 36 MRSA §4641-B

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " to HP 4, L D 2, "An Act to Address Mame's 
Housmg Cr1s1s" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substitutmg the followmg 
'An Act to Address Chronic Homelessness by Creating the Housing First Fund' 
Amend the bill by stnkmg out everything after the enactmg clause and mseitmg the 
following· 
'Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §20-A is enacted to iead 
§20-A. Housing First Program 
1. Program established. The Housmg First Program, referred to in this section as "the 
program," 1s estabhshed in the department to facilitate the delivery of support and 
stabihzat10n services to residents of properties estabhshed or developed to provide 
permanent housing to address chronic homelessness in the State 
Except as otherwise 
provided m this section, services facilitated under the program must be available on site, 
hours per day and be designed to bmld mdependent hvmg skills and connect mdividuals 
with commumty-based services The department shall ensure that reimbursement under 
the MameCare program ts available to providers under the Housmg Fhst Program to the 
maximum extent possible For the purposes of this section, "chrome homelessness" means 
a situat10n m which a person 1s hvmg m a place not meant for human habitation, mcludmg 
emergency shelters, for at least 12 months and for whom homelessness 1s correlated with a 
condition that makes accessmg services and mamtaming housmg a s1gmficant challenge 
such as substance use disorder or a behavioral health condit10n "Chrome homelessness" 
mcludes a situation m which a person has been hvmg mterm1ttently m an mstitutional cru e 
facthty, mcludmg but not limited to 1a1l or a health treatment facthty, but is otherwise hvmg 
in a place not meant for human habitation. 
2. Fund established. The Housmg First Fund, referred to m thts section as "the fund," 
ts established as a separate and dtstmct fund for accountmg and budgetary reportmg 
purposes m order to support the program Funds distributed m accordance with this sect10n 
must be used to supplement. not supplant. existmg or future federal funding designed to 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ';4" to HP 4, L D 2 
prcwide services associated with services provided by the program under subsect10ns 1 and 
5, mcludmg but not limited to the MaineCare program and the housmg outreach and 
member engagement provider program admmistered by the department 
3. Sources of fund. The Treasurer of State shall credit to the fund 
A All money received by the State m accordance with Title 36, sect10n 4641-B, 
subsection 4-B, paragraph E-1, 
B Money from any other source, whether pubhc or private, designated for deposit mto 
or credited to the fund, and 
C Interest earned or other mvestment mcome on balances m the fund 
4. Distribution of funds. Begmnmg July 1, 2025, the department shall make 
distributions from the fund as described m this subsection 
A Annually, the department shall deposit $1,000,000 from the fund to an account 
established for the purpose of providmg fundmg for housmg stabilrty services 
described m subsection 5 
B The department shall establish payment models as appropriate for the puipose of 
providing 24-hour, on-site supportive services to iesidents at Housing First Program 
properties established or developed to provide permanent housing to persons 
expenencing chrome homelessness Supportive services must mclude co01dinat10n 
with a MameCare provider 
C The department shall establish 2 permanent, full-time positions in the department to 
assist providers with providmg 24-hour, on-site supportive services and navigatmg 
reimbursement under the MameCare pt ogram for those services 
D The department shall annually determme the amount necessary to supp011 the 
established payment models at each property for services provided under the program 
in the current fiscal year and the anticipated amount needed to pay foi 24-hour, on-site 
services expected to be provided at each property m the next fiscal yeai 
Funds m 
excess of those amounts must be transfen ed to the Mame State Housmg Authority for 
the purposes of 
( 1) Providmg techmcal assistance to housing developers to help with capital and 
plannmg issues associated with developing properties consistent with the housmg 
model established by the program and as described in subsection 5. and 
(2) Developmg affordable housmg pro1ects with a housmg model estabhshed by 
the program and as described in subsection 5 
5. Housing stability services. The department shall establish a payment model to 
provide funds to pay for the costs of housmg stability services provided to residents at 
properties under the program where supportive services are not necessa11ly piovided on 
site or 24 hours per day 
Services funded under this subsection must be available to 
1emdents no less than 20 hours per week and must adequately meet the needs of the 
reSJ.dents to bmld mdependent hvmg skills. to mamtam housmg and to access necessary 
commumty-based services Housmg stability services funded under this subsect10n may 
also mclude outreach to persons who are expenencmg chrome homelessness for the 
purposes of estabhshmg connections and providing support that may result in securmg 
stable housmg at a property under the program 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
---, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT y\- "to HP 4, L D 2 
6. Rulemaking. The department and the Mame State Housmg Authority shall 1omtly 
adopt rules to admmister the program 
The rules must specify which elements of the 
program are admmistered by the department, which elements are admmistered by the 
Mame State Housmg Authority and which elements are admmistered 1omtly. if any Rules 
adopted under this subsection are routme techmcal rules under Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A 
7. Report. Begmnmg February 1. 2025, the department and the Mame State Housmg 
Authority shall submit a report annually to the 10mt standmg or 10mt select committee of 
the Legislature havmg mrisdiction over housmg matters to provide the committee with 
necessary data and mformat10n to evaluate the effectiveness of the program The initial 
report submitted to the committee must provide an assessment of the number of housmg 
umts and the scope of services needed to serve persons who are expenencmg chrome 
homelessness to serve as a baselme against which the effectiveness of the program and 
other services will be measured Subsequent reports must provide updates to that 
assessment m addition to the following 
A An accountmg of the services facilttated usmg money ft om the fund at properties 
that provide 24-hour, on-site services and properties that provide housmg stability 
services descubed under subsect10n 5. 
B An accountmg of services provided at properties under the program funded under 
the housmg outreach and member engagement provider program and services 
reimbursed under the MameCare program, 
C The number ofresidents served by the program and the number of months residents 
have av01ded retummg to homelessness or mamtamed stable housmg. 
D The amount of money from the fund ti ansferred to the Mame State Housmg 
Authority pursuant to subsection 4. paragraph D that is used for the purposes desci ibed 
m subsection 4, paragraph D, subparagraphs (1) and (2), and 
E Informat10n requested by the committee considered necessary to evaluate the 
effectiveness of the program 
Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §4641-B, sub-§4-B, 1E, as amended by PL 2021, c 753, §1, is 
further amended to read 
E In fiscal year 2015-16 and each fiscal year thereafter prior to fiscal year 2025-26, 
the Treasurer of State shall credit the revenues derived from the tax imposed pursuant 
to sect10n 4641-A, subsect10n 1 m accordance with this paragraph 
(1) At the begmmng of the fiscal year, the Mame State Housmg Authority shall 
certify to the Treasurei of State the amount that is necessary and sufficient to meet 
the authority's obligations relatmg to bonds issued or planned to be issued by the 
authouty under Title 30-A, section 4864 
(2) On a monthly basis.,, the Treasurer of State shall apply 50% of the revenues m 
accordance with this subparagraph The Treasurer of State shall first pay i evenues 
available under this subparagraph to the Mame State Housmg Authority, which 
shall deposit the funds m the Mame Energy, Housmg and Economic Recovery 
Fund established m Title 30-A, section 4863, until the amount paid equals the 
amount certified by the Maine State Housmg Authority under subpa1agraph (1), 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT /'r" to HP 4, L D 2 
after which the Treasurer of State shall credit any remaining revenues available 
under this subparagraph to the General Fund 
(3) On a monthly basis, the Treasurer of State shall credit 50% of the revenues to 
the Mame State Housing Authority, except that, notwithstanding paragraph F, m 
fiscal year 2015-16, the Treasurer of State shall first credit $6,291,740 of the 
revenues available under this subparagraph to the General Fund and except that, 
notwithstandmg paragraph F, in fiscal year 2016-17, the Treasmer of State shall 
first credit $6,090,367 of the revenues available under this subparagraph to the 
General Fund and except that, notwithstanding paragraph F, m fiscal years 2017-
and 2018-19, the Treasurer of State shall first credit $2,500,000 of the revenues 
available under this subparagraph to the General Fund The Maine State Housing 
Authority shall deposit the funds received pursuant to this subparagraph m the 
Housing Opportunities for Maine Fund created m Title 30-A, section 4853 
Beginmng July 1, 2023, the Mame State Housing Authority shall use 25% of funds 
transferred to the Housing Opportumties for Mame Fund under this subparagraph 
to support the creation of new housmg umts, through new construction or adaptive 
reuse, that are affordable to low-mcome households 
Sec. 3. 36 MRSA §4641-B, sub-§4-B, ~-1 is enacted to read 
E-1 In fiscal year 2025-26 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Treasurer of State shall 
credit the revenues derived from the tax nnposed pursuant to sect10n 4641-A, 
subsection 1 m accordance with this paragraph 
(1) At the beginning of the fiscal year, the Mame State Housmg Autho11ty shall 
certify to the Treasurer of State the amount that is necessary and sufficient to meet 
the authority's obligations relating to bonds issued or planned to be issued by the 
authority under Title 30-A, section 4864 
(2) On a monthly basis, the Treasurer of State shall apply 50% of the revenues m 
accordance with this subparagraph The Treasurer of State shall first pay revenues 
available under this subparagraph to the Mame State Housing Authority, which 
shall deposit the funds m the Maine Energy, Housing and Economic Recovery 
Fund established in Title 3 0-A, section 4863, until the amount paid equals the 
amount certified by the Mame State Housmg Authority under subparagraph (1), 
after which the Treasurer of State shall credit 1/2 of any remammg ievenues 
available under this subparagraph to the General Fund and 1 /2 of any remammg 
revenues available under this subparagraph to the Housing First Fund established 
m Title 22, section 20-A, subsection 2 
(3) On a monthly basis, the Treasure1 of State shall credit 50% of the revenues to 
the Mame State Housing Authority The Mame State Housing Authority shall 
deposit the funds received pursuant to this subparagraph m the Housing 
Opportunities for Mame Fund created m Title 30-A, section 4853 Begmnmg July 
1, 2025, the Mame State Housing Authority shall use 25% of funds transferred to 
the Housing Opportumties for Mame Fund under this subparagraph to support the 
creation of new housmg umts, through new construction or adaptive reuse, that are 
affordable to low-mcome households 
Sec. 4. Department of Health and Human Services to apply for state plan 
amendments to align certain MaineCare rules with Housing First Program. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEEAMENDMENT'A"toHP 4, LD 2 
Withm 9 months of the effective date of this Act, the Department of Health and Human 
Services shall apply to the Umted States Department of Health and Human Services, 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for relevant state plan amendments for rule 
Chapter 101 MameCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 13, Targeted Case 
Management Services, and the Housmg Outreach and Member Engagement Provider 
Program withm rule Chapter 101 MameCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Sect10n 91, 
Health Home Services - Commumty Care Teams, to maximize the ahgnment of these rules 
with the Housmg First Program under the Mame Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 20-A, 
subsections 1 and 5 The department shall mit1ate rulemakmg withm 120 days ofrece1vmg 
state plan approval of the requested changes 
Sec. 5. 
Appropriations and allocations. The followmg appropriations and 
allocat10ns ate made 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Housing First Program Z374 
Imtiative Estabhshes one hmited-penod Pubhc Service Manager II position and one 
limited-period Soctal Services Program Manager posit10n begmmng January 1, 2024 to 
provide mit1al plannmg and admm1stration for the dehvery of support and stabihzat1011 
services to residents of properties established or developed to provide permanent housmg 
to end chrome homelessness 111 the State through June 14, 2025 
GENERAL FUND 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Housing First Program Z37 4 
2023-24 
$125,755 
$6,537 
$132,292 
2024-25 
$265,355 
$13,074 
$278,429 
Imttattve Provides a base allocat10n for the Department of Health and Human Services, 
Housmg First Program 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHERSPECIALREVENUEFUNDSTOTAL 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE 
Housing First - MSHA N447 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
2023-24 
$132,292 
$0 
$132,292 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2024-25 
$500 
$500 
2024-25 
$278,429 
$500 
$278,929 
ROS 
s 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ':JI-" to HP 4, L D 2 
Imtlattve Provides a base allocation to authorize expenditures of funds transferred from 
the Department of Health and Human Services to be used to provide technical assistance 
with capital and plannmg issues associated with developmg properties consistent with the 
housmg model under the Housmg First Program and to develop affordable housing proJects 
consistent with the housmg model under the Housmg First Program 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTIIER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
SECTION TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
2023-24 
$500 
$500 
2023-24 
$500 
$500 
2023-24 
$132,292 
$500 
$132,792 
2024-25 
$500 
$500 
2024-25 
$500 
$500 
2024-25 
$278,429 
$1,000 
$279,429 
Amend the bill by relettermg or renumbermg any nonconsecutive Part letter or sect10n 
number to read consecutively 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill, which is a concept draft, and changes the title The 
amendment, the maJority report of the committee, estabhshes the Housmg First Program 
withm the Department of Health and Human Services to facihtate the delivery of 
stabilization and support services to residents of properties established or developed to 
provide permanent housmg to persons who have been experiencmg chrome homelessness 
and to fund technical assistance, admmistered by the Mame State Housmg Authority, f01 
the development of housmg consistent with the program The amendment requires the 
department to ensure that fundmg supplements existmg and future services provided under 
associated programs such as the MameCare program and the housmg outreach and member 
engagement provider program The program is funded from the real estate transfer tax by 
depositmg half of the funds that would otherwise be deposited mto the General Fund mto 
the Housmg First Fund created by the amendment The amendment authorizes 2 positions 
withm the Department of Health and Human Services under the Housmg Frrst Fund The 
amendment drrects the Department of Health and Human Services and the Mame State 
Housmg Authonty to Jomtly adopt rules to admmister the program and requires them to 
report annually to the jomt standmg committee or Jomt select committee of the Legislature 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ;.,,4-" to HP 4, L D 2 
havmg jurisdiction over housmg matters for the purpose of evaluatmg the effectiveness of 
the program The amendment also directs the Department of Health and Human Services 
to apply to the Umted States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers foi 
Medicare and Medicaid Services for state plan amendments to ahgn certam MameCare 
rules with the Housmg Fust Program 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised 05/18/23 ::!:Pae 
LD2 
LR 345(02) 
An Act to Address Maine's Housing Crisis 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Comrmttee Amendment ,A" ff{-~ I) 
Committee: Housing 
~ 
Net Cost (Savings) 
Gene1al Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Other Special RevetJUe Funds 
Revenue 
Gene1al Fund 
Other Special Reverme Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2023-24 
FY 2024-25 
ProJections 
FY 2025-26 
Pr0Ject1ons 
FY 2026-27 
$132,292 
$132,292 
$500 
$0 
$0 
$278,429 
$278,429 
$1,000 
$10,780,287 
$0 
$10,780,787 
$11,197,391 
$0 
$0 
($10,780,287) 
($11,197,391) 
$0 
$10,780,287 
$11,197,391 
Thts bill mcludes General Fund approprtations to the Department of Health and Human Sei-vtces of $132,292 m fiscal 
year 2023-24 and $278,429 m fiscal year 2024-25 to estabhsh one lnmted-penod Pubhc Service Manager II position 
and one hm1ted-per1od Soctal Services Program Manager position begmnmg January 1, 2024 to provide 1mtlal 
plannmg and admmtstratlon for the delivery of support and stabihzat10n services to residents of properties established 
or developed to proV1de permanent housmg to end chrome homelessness m the State through June 15, 2025 The bill 
also mcludes an Other Special Revenue Funds base allocation of $500 m fiscal year 2024-25 to a newly created 
Housmg Ftrst Program account withm the Department of Health and Human Services to facilitate the delivery of 
stabihzatton and supplemental services to residents of properties establtshed or developed to provide pennanent 
housmg to persons who have been chromcally homeless It ts also assumed that the hm1ted-per10d positions funded by 
the General Fund m this bill will be estabhshed as ongomg positions funded by the Other Special Revenue Funds 
allocations m future bienmums 
The btll also mcludes an Other Special Revenue Funds base allocat10n of $500 per year begmmng m fiscal year 2023-
to a newly created Housmg First - MSHA program account withm the Mame State Housmg Authonty to author1rr~~ 
expenditures of funds transferred from the Department of Health and Human Services to be used to provide techm, 
assistance with capita.I and plannmg issues associated with developmg properties consistent with the housmg modc1 
described by the Housmg First Program and to develop affordable housmg ptoJects consistent with that model 
LR0345(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1