An Act to Create Transitional Housing Communities for Homeless Populations in the State Reference to the Joint Select Committee on Housing suggested and ordered printed.
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1721
Committee: Housing
Sponsors: DUSON, TALBOT ROSS, PIERCE, TIPPING, VITELLI, FAY, GATTINE, GERE, MATLACK, RANA
Amends: 22 MRSA §7852, 22 MRSA §7864

Legislative Document
No. 1721
S.P. 684
In Senate, April 18, 2023
An Act to Create Transitional Housing Communities for Homeless 
Populations in the State
Reference to the Joint Select Committee on Housing suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator DUSON of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Speaker TALBOT ROSS of Portland and
Senators: PIERCE of Cumberland, TIPPING of Penobscot, VITELLI of Sagadahoc, 
Representatives: FAY of Raymond, GATTINE of Westbrook, GERE of Kennebunkport, 
MATLACK of St. George, RANA of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §7852, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 596, Pt. A, §1 and 
affected by Pt. B, §25, is amended to read:
6.  Independent housing with services program.  "Independent housing with services 
program" means a program of assisted housing services provided to residents in private 
apartments in buildings that include a common dining area or residents in a transitional 
housing community, either directly by the provider or indirectly through contracts with 
persons, entities or agencies. For purposes of this subsection, "transitional housing 
community" has the same meaning as in Title 30-A, section 4768, subsection 1, paragraph 
C.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §7864 is enacted to read:
§7864.  Transitional housing communities
1. Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Cultural brokerage" means the act of bridging, linking or mediating between 
groups or persons of different cultural backgrounds to reduce conflict or produce 
change.
B. "Transitional housing community" has the same meaning as in Title 30-A, section 
4768, subsection 1, paragraph C.
2. Services provided to transitional housing communities. The department shall 
coordinate, arrange or provide assisted housing services at a transitional housing 
community under Title 30-A, section 4768 to improve the health and welfare of the 
residents of the transitional housing community and to assist the residents in making 
community connections, establishing financial independence and locating and maintaining 
permanent housing.  Services under this subsection may include health care, counseling, 
English language learning, legal aid, housing navigation, transportation assistance, job 
training, cultural brokerage or other services the department determines appropriate.  
Services provided may be tailored to a resident and may change over time to adapt to the 
changing needs of a resident.
Sec. 3.  30-A MRSA c. 201, sub-c. 3-D is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 3-D
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING COMMUNITIES
§4768. Transitional Housing Community Construction Program and Fund
1. Definitions.  As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Dwelling unit" has the same meaning as in Title 12, section 682, subsection 11.
B. "Transitional housing" means housing designed to provide a homeless individual or 
family with interim stability and support to successfully move to and maintain 
permanent housing. Transitional housing is typically used for up to 24 months and 
generally includes accompanying support services.
C. "Transitional housing community" means more than one transitional housing 
dwelling unit located collectively in one building or in multiple buildings on one site 
with community space.
2. Program established.  The Transitional Housing Community Construction 
Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established within the Maine State 
Housing Authority. The goals of the program are to create transitional housing 
communities to reduce state and municipal costs and reliance on hotels, motels and other 
transient lodging accommodations to provide temporary housing to homeless populations, 
to provide stability for homeless individuals and families and to create efficiencies for 
service providers in the provision of services to the homeless populations.
3. Program activities.  The activities of the program include providing short-term or 
long-term assistance in the form of:
A. Grants or loans to private entities to incentivize and assist with the development and 
construction of transitional housing communities;
B. Creating transitional housing communities;
C. Purchasing dwelling units to be used as transitional housing in transitional housing 
communities;
D. Purchasing land on which to locate transitional housing communities;
E. Purchasing buildings in which to locate transitional housing dwelling units or 
community space associated with a transitional housing community;
F. Conducting site work in preparation for a transitional housing community; or
G. Purchasing furniture, fixtures or equipment for transitional housing.
4. Fund established.  The Transitional Housing Community Construction Program 
Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established and administered by the Maine 
State Housing Authority. The purpose of the fund is to support the Transitional Housing 
Community Construction Program. The fund consists of appropriations and allocations and 
grants, donations and revenue from other public and private sources. Amounts in the fund 
may be invested, and interest earned by the investments is credited to the fund.  Funds in 
the fund do not lapse but must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. The Maine State 
Housing Authority may expend funds in the fund for reasonable costs in administering the 
fund.
5. Reporting.  Beginning February 1, 2024 and quarterly thereafter, the Maine State 
Housing Authority shall submit a report of expenditures from the fund and the goals and 
achievements of the program to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over housing matters.
Sec. 4. Maine State Housing Authority to establish transitional housing 
communities.  The Maine State Housing Authority shall establish transitional housing 
communities pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4768 under this 
section. 
1. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following 
terms have the following meanings.
A. "Congregate housing" means housing where a resident lives in a separate apartment 
but shares common space including a dining room, kitchen or other similar amenities.
B. "Dwelling unit" has the same meaning as in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, 
section 4768, subsection 1, paragraph A.
C. "Transitional housing" has the same meaning as the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
30-A, section 4768, subsection 1, paragraph B.
D. "Transitional housing community" has the same meaning as in the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4768, subsection 1, paragraph C.  
2. The Maine State Housing Authority shall create 400 dwelling units of transitional 
housing for families, with at least one transitional housing community within each of the 9 
homeless response service hubs established in the Corporation for Supportive Housing's 
Maine Homeless System Re-Design Initiative, Final Report and Recommendations, 
published in June 2021. Each transitional housing community under this subsection must:
A. Have dwelling units that:
(1) Range in size from 1 to 4 bedrooms; and
(2) Have a full kitchen and a bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink; and
B. Consist of at least 25 dwelling units.
3. The Maine State Housing Authority shall create 500 dwelling units of transitional 
housing for single individuals, with at least one transitional housing community within each 
of the 9 homeless response service hubs established in the Corporation for Supportive 
Housing's Maine Homeless System Re-Design Initiative, Final Report and 
Recommendations, published in June 2021. Each transitional housing community under 
this subsection:
A. May be created as congregate housing or noncongregate housing;
B. If an individual does not have access to a full kitchen for meal preparation, must 
provide the individual a meal on site;
C. Must provide an individual access to secure storage for personal belongings and 
access to day space that is separate from sleeping space; and
D. Must consist of at least 25 dwelling units.
The space allotted to an individual is considered a dwelling unit.
4. The Maine State Housing Authority shall create at least 400 square feet of shared 
community space for a transitional housing community with up to 50 dwelling units and 
an additional 200 square feet of shared community space for each additional 25 dwelling 
units in the transitional housing community.  The community space must:
A. Be located on the same site as the transitional housing community; and
B. Be suitable for year-round use with heating, cooling and restroom facilities or 
access.
5. A transitional housing dwelling unit created under this section must be used as 
transitional housing for a period of at least 30 years, except that, if at any time within the 
30-year period under this subsection the need for transitional housing has diminished, the 
dwelling unit may be used as a rental unit for an individual or family whose income is 60% 
or less of the area median income for that census tract as determined by the Federal National 
Mortgage Association.
Sec. 5.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Transitional Housing Community Services N442
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds to support services associated with transitional housing 
under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 7864.
GENERAL FUND
2023-24
2024-25
All Other
$12,000,000
$12,000,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$12,000,000
$12,000,000
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2023-24
2024-25
GENERAL FUND
$12,000,000
$12,000,000
__________
__________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$12,000,000
$12,000,000
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
Transitional Housing Community Construction Program Fund N441
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for transitional housing community construction 
under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 7864.
GENERAL FUND
2023-24
2024-25
All Other
$45,000,000
$45,000,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$45,000,000
$45,000,000
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2023-24
2024-25
GENERAL FUND
$45,000,000
$45,000,000
__________
__________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$45,000,000
$45,000,000
SECTION TOTALS
2023-24
2024-25
GENERAL FUND
$57,000,000
$57,000,000
__________
__________
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$57,000,000
$57,000,000
SUMMARY
This bill creates the Transitional Housing Community Construction Program Fund 
under the Maine State Housing Authority to create transitional housing communities, 
which are clusters of transitional housing dwelling units for homeless individuals and 
families to provide stability and to allow the individuals and families to transition to 
permanent housing.  The bill directs that transitional housing communities be created 
throughout the State designed to cover all 16 counties. The bill directs the Department of 
Health and Human Services, 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 to the Maine State Housing Authority to create transitional 
housing communities and funding to the department to provide independent housing 
services to residents of transitional housing.