An Act to Establish the Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program and Amend the Laws Regarding Tenants and the Municipal General Assistance Program
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1710
Committee: Labor and Housing
Sponsors: GOLEK, CARNEY, CLOUTIER, CRAVEN, GATTINE, GERE, RANA, TALBOT ROSS, DAUGHTRY, PIERCE
Amends: 5 MRSA §4581-A, 10 MRSA §1310-H, 22 MRSA §3763, 22 MRSA §4305, 22 MRSA §4308, 22 MRSA §4309, 22 MRSA §4311, 22 MRSA §4323, 30-A MRSA §4765, 32 MRSA §11002, 36 MRSA §4641, 36 MRSA §4641-A, 36 MRSA §4641-B

Legislative Document
No. 1710
H.P. 1099
House of Representatives, April 18, 2023
An Act to Establish the Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee 
Program and Amend the Laws Regarding Tenants and the 
Municipal General Assistance Program
Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GOLEK of Harpswell.
Cosponsored by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, CRAVEN of Lewiston, GATTINE of Westbrook, 
GERE of Kennebunkport, RANA of Bangor, Speaker TALBOT ROSS of Portland, Senators: 
DAUGHTRY of Cumberland, PIERCE of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §4581-A, sub-§3, ¶B, as amended by PL 2021, c. 366, §10 and 
c. 476, §3, is further amended to read:
B.  Discriminate in the granting of financial assistance, or in the terms, conditions or 
privileges relating to obtaining or the use of any financial assistance, against any 
applicant because of race or color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical 
or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, familial status or any previous 
actions seeking and receiving an order of protection under Title 19‑A, section 4007; or
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §4581-A, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 613, §11 and affected 
by §29, is amended to read:
4.  Receipt of public assistance.  For any person furnishing rental premises or public 
accommodations to refuse to rent or impose different terms of tenancy to any individual 
who is a recipient of federal, state or local public assistance, including medical assistance 
and housing subsidies, primarily because of the individual's status as recipient.;
Sec. 3.  5 MRSA §4581-A, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
5.  Discrimination based on source of income.  For any owner, lessee, sublessee, 
managing agent or other person having the right to sell or rent or manage a housing 
accommodation, or any agent of these, to:  
A.  Refuse to rent or negotiate for the rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, 
a dwelling to any person because the person's source of income is a public assistance 
program or because of the requirements of any program providing the source of 
income; or
B.  Refuse to participate in or comply with any federal, state or local requirements of a 
tenant-based rental assistance program.
(1)  Refusing to participate in or comply with any federal, state or local 
requirements of a tenant-based rental assistance program includes, but is not 
limited to, the following:
(a)  Refusing to allow inspections of a dwelling by the public housing authority 
or other entity administering a tenant-based rental assistance program;
(b)  Refusing to make reasonable repairs necessary for the dwelling to meet 
the housing quality standards of the tenant-based rental assistance program.  
Repairs are considered reasonable if they do not substantially alter or change 
the rental unit or do not require repairs substantially different from those that 
would be required to bring the rental unit into compliance with the implied 
warranty of fitness for habitation as described in Title 14, section 6021 or local 
building or housing codes applicable for new construction;
(c)  Refusing to complete any paperwork required by the tenant-based rental 
assistance program; and
(d)  Refusing to provide information required by the public housing authority 
or other entity administering the source of income or tenant-based rental 
assistance program.
(2)  For the purposes of this paragraph, "tenant-based rental assistance program" 
means a federal, state or local program that provides any form of rental assistance, 
including but not limited to, vouchers and coupons, in which program participants 
select their appropriate housing.
This subsection does not apply to an owner of fewer than 4 dwellings held for rental 
purposes; or
Sec. 4.  5 MRSA §4581-A, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6.  Requirement to provide affordable housing.  For any owner to fail to provide 
affordable housing in accordance with this subsection.
A.  An owner of more than 10 units of residential rental property in the State shall 
ensure that at least 10% of the units available for rental qualify as affordable housing. 
For purposes of this subsection, "affordable housing" means a rental unit in which a 
household with an income that does not exceed 80% of the median income for the area 
as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under 
the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public Law 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as 
amended, does not spend more than 30% of the household's monthly income on 
housing costs.
B.  An owner is entitled to a tax credit for the loss of income experienced as a result of 
complying with the requirements of paragraph A.
Sec. 5.  10 MRSA §1310-H, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
5.  Credit reporting prohibited.  An entity may not report to a credit reporting agency 
a tenant’s failure to pay an unaffordable rent. As used in this subsection, "unaffordable 
rent" means a situation in which the total amount paid by a tenant to a landlord, utility 
company and heating fuel provider exceeds 30% of the tenant's household gross monthly 
income.
Sec. 6.  22 MRSA §3763, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §16, is 
amended to read:
9.  Emergency assistance.  The department shall establish and operate a program of 
emergency assistance to needy families with children.  This program must provide benefits 
to needy families with children in emergency situations in which the family is deprived of 
the basic necessities essential to its support, including but not limited to, fire and other 
natural disasters, terminations of utility service or lack of adequate shelter emergencies, as 
defined in section 4301, subsection 4 and in rules as adopted by the department, in the 
amount necessary to alleviate the emergency being experienced by the family.
A.  In determining what constitutes an emergency with respect to utility terminations, 
the department shall grant assistance when an otherwise qualified family has received 
a disconnection notice and has exhausted their ability to negotiate and pay the terms of 
a reasonable payment arrangement.
B.  The program may not be used to supplant local responsibility for operating or 
funding a general assistance program.
C.  The department may not expend more than $750,000 annually of state general 
assistance funds for the purposes of covering the cost of services set out in this 
subsection.
Sec. 7.  22 MRSA §4305, sub-§3-B, as amended by PL 2005, c. 231, §1, is further 
amended to read:
3-B.  Temporary maximum Maximum levels.  Notwithstanding subsection 3‑A, 
municipalities shall establish an aggregate maximum level of assistance that is 110% of the 
applicable existing housing fair market rents as established by the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to 24 Code of Federal 
Regulations, Section 888.115, applying the sum of the average rent for the municipality, 
the cost of groceries needed to provide a healthy, budget-conscious diet as determined by 
the United States Department of Agriculture for the appropriate family size and a 
reasonable amount for other basic necessities sufficient to maintain health and decency.  In 
determining the maximum level of assistance, the municipality shall apply the zero-
bedroom level for one person, the one-bedroom level for 2 persons, the 2-bedroom level 
for 3 persons, the 3-bedroom level for 4 persons and the 4-bedroom level for 5 persons.  
For each additional person, the aggregate maximum level increases by $75.  For the 
purposes of this subsection, municipalities with populations greater than 10,000 are deemed 
Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas in those counties for which there are 2 fair market 
rent values and the aggregate maximum level of assistance for all Standard Metropolitan 
Statistical Areas is the average of the fair market rental values for the Standard 
Metropolitan Statistical Areas and areas that are not Standard Metropolitan Statistical 
Areas for each county in which there are 2 fair market rental values the difference in 
average rent between a 3-bedroom and a 4-bedroom unit. The average rent for the 
municipality must be determined pursuant to a survey conducted by the Department of 
Health and Human Services and the Maine State Housing Authority.
Beginning October 2005 and annually thereafter, the aggregate maximum level of 
assistance must be established at the greater of 110% of the fair market rents as determined 
in this subsection and the amount achieved by annually increasing the most recent 
aggregate maximum level of assistance by the percentage increase in the federal poverty 
level of the current year over the federal poverty level of the prior year.
For the purposes of this subsection, "federal poverty level" means that measure defined by 
the federal Department of Health and Human Services and updated annually in the Federal 
Register under authority of 42 United States Code, Section 9902(2).
Sec. 8.  22 MRSA §4305, sub-§3-C, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. R, §1, is 
repealed.
Sec. 9.  22 MRSA §4305, sub-§3-D, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. OO, §7, is 
repealed.
Sec. 10.  22 MRSA §4308, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. AAA, §6, 
is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
1.  Comprehensive application form.  The department shall develop a comprehensive 
application form for general assistance, emergency assistance and any statewide rental 
assistance program, which must be used by all municipalities and other government entities 
or a nonprofit agency to determine eligibility for all of the programs. Unless the applicant 
affirmatively indicates otherwise in writing, an application for a program under this 
subsection is considered an application for all of the programs. The government entity to 
whom the application for a program under this subsection is initially filed shall determine 
the applicant’s eligibility for each of the programs and notify the applicant of its eligibility 
decision as required by the rules governing each program.
Sec. 11.  22 MRSA §4308, sub-§2, ¶B, as amended by PL 1991, c. 528, Pt. OOO, 
§1 and affected by Pt. RRR and amended by c. 591, Pt. OOO, §1, is further amended to 
read:
B.  Municipalities may shall by standards adopted in municipal ordinances restrict 
provide for the disbursement of emergency assistance in excess of general assistance 
maximums otherwise established by ordinance as necessary to alleviate emergency 
situations to the extent that those situations could not have been averted by the 
applicant's use of income and resources for basic necessities.  The person requesting 
assistance shall provide evidence of income and resources for the applicable time 
period.
Sec. 12.  22 MRSA §4308, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4.  Appropriate services.  A general assistance program must provide trauma-
informed services and culturally and linguistically appropriate services to all applicants.  
For purposes of this subsection, "trauma-informed services" means services that 
acknowledge and are informed by the widespread impact of trauma and recognize the 
potential paths for recovery; recognize the unique signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, 
families and staff; respond by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, 
procedures and practices; and seek to actively avoid retraumatization.  For purposes of this 
subsection, "culturally and linguistically appropriate services" means services that are 
designed to serve culturally diverse populations in a person's preferred language; function 
effectively within the context of cultural beliefs, behaviors and needs presented by a person 
who applies to or is a participant in a general assistance program and the person's 
community; contribute to a work environment that supports diversity; promote community 
engagement; build trust and relationships with general assistance applicants and 
participants; actively support and enable general assistance participants to make informed 
choices; and value and facilitate the exchange of information with general assistance 
participants.
Sec. 13.  22 MRSA §4309, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1989, c. 840, §4, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Eligibility of applicant; duration of eligibility.  The overseer shall determine 
eligibility each time a person applies or reapplies for general assistance pursuant to this 
chapter and the ordinance adopted by the municipality in accordance with section 4305.  
The period of eligibility must not exceed one month be for a period of 6 months.  At the 
expiration of that period the person may reapply for assistance and the person's eligibility 
may be redetermined.
Sec. 14.  22 MRSA §4311, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. SSSS, §1, 
is further amended by enacting at the end a new last blocked paragraph to read:
The department shall reimburse each municipality and each Indian tribe 100% of the direct 
costs incurred by that municipality or tribe for the general assistance program granted by 
that municipality or tribe to a household pursuant to section 4308, subsection 2, paragraph 
B for that portion of emergency assistance granted by the municipality or tribe that exceeds 
the general assistance maximums established by the municipality or tribe.
Sec. 15.  22 MRSA §4323, sub-§1, as corrected by RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §202, is 
amended by enacting at the end a new last blocked paragraph to read:
The department is responsible for ensuring that each municipality complies with its duty to 
provide trauma-informed services and culturally and linguistically appropriate services as 
defined in section 4308, subsection 4.  The department shall provide mandatory training to 
municipalities to ensure that a municipality is able to comply with the requirements of this 
chapter.
Sec. 16.  30-A MRSA §4765, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. WW, §1, 
is amended to read:
3.  Uses of fund.  The fund may be used for short-term or long-term assistance under 
the program, which may include:
A.  Providing rental assistance or appropriate housing for people experiencing 
homelessness who are staying in hotels as a short-term housing solution;
B.  Supplementing or creating a program similar to the home investment partnerships 
program created pursuant to the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to purchase 
and convert appropriate buildings to housing to address the needs of people 
experiencing homelessness or facing other immediate housing needs;
C.  Supplementing or enhancing other short-term rental assistance programs such as 
rapid rehousing services;
D.  Creating supportive housing for people with disabilities, mental health challenges 
or substance use disorder using an approach that prioritizes providing permanent 
housing to people experiencing homelessness; and
E.  Any other use that addresses housing emergencies in the State.; and
F.  Funding the Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program as established in 
section 4994-F.
Sec. 17.  30-A MRSA c. 201, sub-c. 14 is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 14
MAINE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND GUARANTEE PROGRAM
§4994-F.  Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program
The Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program, referred to in this section as "the 
program," is established within the Maine State Housing Authority. The program must 
include a component that provides rental assistance to assist individuals with the cost of 
rent and a rental guarantee component as described in this section.
1.  Rental assistance. The rental assistance component of the program must be 
administered in accordance with this subsection.
A.  The Maine State Housing Authority shall establish and administer eligibility criteria 
and application requirements for tenants or prospective tenants to participate in the 
program consistent with the following requirements.
(1)  An applicant for assistance must be required to apply for any available 
federally funded housing voucher program, including but not limited to the housing 
voucher program under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public 
Law 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, as amended, 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), 
and must participate in the federally funded program if the applicant is found 
eligible and awarded a voucher.
(2) An applicant’s income may not exceed 30% of the area median income, 
adjusted for family size, in accordance with federal standards generally accepted 
at the time of incorporation under this subchapter and comparable to standards of 
the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development in existence on 
October 1, 2023, except that once approved for the program an applicant remains 
eligible to receive continued rental assistance pursuant to the provisions of the 
program until the household income exceeds 80% of the area median income.
(3) A participant in the program must be required to pay 30% of the participant's 
countable income toward the participant's rental obligation. Income must be 
determined pursuant to the regulations that govern the housing voucher program 
under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public Law 75-412, 50 
Stat. 888, as amended.
(4) A tenant must reside in an apartment in which the rent is at or below 125% of 
the fair market rent established by the federal Department of Housing and Urban 
Development in existence on October 1, 2023 for the household size in the area in 
which the rental unit is located.
B. Rental assistance payments for program participants must be paid from the fund 
established in section 4994-G directly to the landlord of the participant or to a property 
management company designated by the landlord.
C. A landlord may receive rental assistance payments under the program only if the 
landlord agrees to:
(1)  Exclude credit score, rental history and last month's rent from the rental 
application;
(2)  Work with individuals who provide housing navigation affiliated with housing 
authorities, general assistance programs or nonprofit organizations who assist 
tenants with locating housing and the rental process and who provide mentoring 
services to promote successful landlord-tenant relationships;
(3)  Waive late fees for tenants for any month in which rental assistance is paid by 
the program; and
(4)  Not evict a program participant for nonpayment of rent during any month rental 
assistance is paid by the program.
2.  Rental guarantee.  The rental guarantee component of the program must be 
administered in accordance with this subsection.  
A.  The purpose of the rental guarantee component of the program is to encourage 
landlords to work with the program and other rental assistance programs available in 
the State, including but not limited to rental assistance programs administered by or 
available through the Maine State Housing Authority, the Department of Health and 
Human Services, local housing authorities, other state and local agencies, federal 
agencies, municipalities and tribal governments.
B.  The Maine State Housing Authority shall annually provide at least $1,000,000 of 
available funds provided pursuant to section 4994-G for the rental guarantee 
component of the program. The funds may be used: 
(1)  To hire housing navigators affiliated with local housing authorities, general 
assistance programs or nonprofit organizations to assist tenants with locating 
housing and with the rental application process and to provide mentoring services 
to promote successful landlord-tenant relationships;
(2)  To provide a letter of credit to landlords who enter into a 12-month rental 
agreement with a person receiving rental assistance through a municipal general 
assistance program under Title 22, chapter 1161. The letter of credit must guarantee 
up to one month of rental assistance and verified property damages, not to exceed 
$2,000, in the event the tenancy is unsuccessful;
(3)  To expand the availability of programs that assist landlords who participate in 
rental assistance programs available in the State, as described in paragraph A, with 
mitigation and repair of damages to units and mitigation of lost funds due to unpaid 
rent and tenant payment of security deposits; and
(4)  To connect landlords with resources for the abatement of lead paint hazards in 
residential housing if needed.
3.  Rules.  The Maine State Housing Authority may adopt rules to implement this 
section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
§4994-G.  Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program Fund
The Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program Fund is established within the 
Maine State Housing Authority. The Maine State Housing Authority may apply money in 
the fund for purposes authorized by this subchapter. The fund may not lapse, but must be 
carried forward to carry out the purposes of this subchapter.
Sec. 18.  32 MRSA §11002, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2013, c. 521, Pt. E, §1, is 
further amended by enacting at the end a new first blocked paragraph to read:
"Debt collector" includes any entity attempting to collect a debt for unpaid rent when the 
rent is unaffordable rent except that this subsection does not apply to the collection of a 
rental debt not otherwise subject to the provisions of this chapter when the debt arises from 
the rental of a unit located in a building with no more than 4 rental units, one of which is 
occupied by the owner.  As used in this subsection, "unaffordable rent" means a situation 
in which the total amount paid by a tenant to a landlord, utility company and heating fuel 
provider exceeds 30% of the tenant's household gross monthly income.
Sec. 19.  36 MRSA §4641, sub-§2-B is enacted to read:
2-B.  Primary residence.  "Primary residence" has the same meaning as the term 
"homestead" as defined in section 681, subsection 2.
Sec. 20.  36 MRSA §4641-A, sub-§1, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 559, Pt. I, §3 
and affected by §15, is amended to read:
A.  The Prior to January 1, 2024, the rate of the tax is $2.20 for each $500 or fractional 
part of $500 of the value of the property transferred.
Sec. 21.  36 MRSA §4641-A, sub-§1, ¶A-1 is enacted to read:
A-1.  Beginning January 1, 2024, the following tax rates apply:
(1)  The rate of the tax is $2.20 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value 
of the property transferred when the sales price is less than the median sales price 
in the county in which the sale occurred;
(2)  The rate of the tax is $2.75 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value 
of the property transferred when the sales price is greater than the median sales 
price in the county in which the sale occurred;
(3)  The rate of the tax is $3.30 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value 
of the property transferred when the sales price is greater than 2 times the median 
sales price in the county in which the sale occurred but less than $1,000,000; and
(4)  The rate of the tax is $4.40 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value 
of the property transferred when the sales price is $1,000,000 or greater.
The median sales price must be the median price set forth in the housing facts and 
affordability index for the State as determined by the Maine State Housing Authority 
for the year prior to the year in which the sale occurred.
Sec. 22.  36 MRSA §4641-A, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 559, Pt. I, §3 
and affected by §15, is amended to read:
A.  The Prior to January 1, 2024, the rate of the tax is $2.20 for each $500 or fractional 
part of $500 of the value of the real property owned by the entity and located in this 
State.
Sec. 23.  36 MRSA §4641-A, sub-§2, ¶A-1 is enacted to read:
A-1.  Beginning January 1, 2024, the following tax rates apply:
(1)  The rate of the tax is $2.20 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value 
of the property transferred when the sales price is less than the median sales price 
in the county in which the sale occurred;
(2)  The rate of the tax is $2.75 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value 
of the property transferred when the sales price is greater than the median sales 
price in the county in which the sale occurred;
(3)  The rate of the tax is $3.30 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value 
of the property transferred when the sales price is greater than 2 times the median 
sales price in the county in which the sale occurred but less than $1,000,000; and
(4)  The rate of the tax is $4.40 for each $500 or fractional part of $500 of the value 
of the property transferred when the sales price is $1,000,000 or greater.
The median sales price must be the median price set forth in the housing facts and 
affordability index for the State as determined by the Maine State Housing Authority 
for the year prior to the year in which the sale occurred.
Sec. 24.  36 MRSA §4641-B, sub-§4-B, ¶E, as amended by PL 2021, c. 753, §1, 
is further amended to read:
E.  In fiscal year 2015-16 and each fiscal year thereafter and in each fiscal year prior 
to fiscal year 2023-24, the Treasurer of State shall credit the revenues derived from the 
tax imposed pursuant to section 4641‑A, subsection 1 in accordance with this 
paragraph.
(1)  At the beginning of the fiscal year, the Maine State Housing Authority 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 in 
accordance with this subparagraph.  The Treasurer of State shall first pay revenues 
available under this subparagraph to the Maine State Housing Authority, which 
shall deposit the funds in the Maine Energy, Housing and Economic Recovery 
Fund established in Title 30‑A, section 4863, until the amount paid equals the 
amount certified by the Maine State Housing Authority under subparagraph (1), 
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 Maine State Housing Authority, except that, notwithstanding paragraph F, in 
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, 
notwithstanding paragraph F, in fiscal year 2016-17, the Treasurer 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, in 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 in the 
Housing Opportunities for Maine Fund created in Title 30‑A, section 4853.  
Beginning July 1, 2023, the Maine State Housing Authority shall use 25% of funds 
transferred to the Housing Opportunities for Maine Fund under this subparagraph 
to support the creation of new housing units, through new construction or adaptive 
reuse, that are affordable to low-income households.
Sec. 25.  36 MRSA §4641-B, sub-§4-B, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 453, §6, is 
repealed.
Sec. 26.  36 MRSA §4641-B, sub-§4-B, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 453, §6, is 
repealed.
Sec. 27.  36 MRSA §4641-B, sub-§4-B, ¶H is enacted to read:
H.  Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, beginning in fiscal year 2023-
24, revenue from section 4641-A, subsection 1, paragraph A-1 and section 4641-A, 
subsection 2, paragraph A-1 must be credited to the Emergency Housing Relief Fund 
created in Title 30-A, section 4765 and must be used to fund the Maine Rental 
Assistance and Guarantee Program set forth in Title 30-A, section 4994-F.
Sec. 28.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program Fund N356
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds to establish and implement the Maine Rental Assistance 
and Guarantee Program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 201, 
subchapter 14.
GENERAL FUND
2023-24
2024-25
All Other
$75,500,000
$75,500,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$75,500,000
$75,500,000
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Maine State Housing Authority to establish and administer the 
Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program.  The program must include a rental 
assistance component to assist individuals with the cost of rent and a rental guarantee 
component to encourage landlords to work with the program and other rental assistance 
programs in the State.  The bill also creates the Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee 
Program Fund under the Maine State Housing Authority to carry out the program. The bill 
appropriates $75,500,000 of ongoing funds annually.
The bill amends the Maine Human Rights Act to include as prohibited acts the 
discrimination against a tenant because the tenant participates in a federal, state or local 
tenant-based rental assistance program and requires owners of more than 10 residential 
rental units to ensure that at least 10% of the rental units that they rent meet the definition 
of affordable housing.
The bill amends the laws governing the municipal general assistance program by 
redefining maximum levels of assistance to better reflect the cost of basic necessities 
experienced by persons who participate in the program. It requires the Department of 
Health and Human Services to develop a comprehensive application form for applicants of 
general assistance, emergency assistance and rental assistance. It requires municipalities to 
exceed the maximum levels of assistance in order to alleviate an emergency and requires 
the State to reimburse municipalities for 100% of additional expenditures. It requires 
municipalities to provide culturally appropriate and trauma-informed services when 
administering the general assistance program. It requires the Department of Health and 
Human Services to provide training to ensure that the municipalities comply with the 
requirements of the program. 
The bill amends the laws governing the real estate transfer tax by creating a graduated 
tax based upon the sales price of the real estate and dedicates those funds to assist in funding 
the Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program.
The bill amends the Maine Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by further defining a 
debt collector as any entity that attempts to collect unpaid rent where the rent is 
unaffordable. It prohibits any entity from reporting to a credit reporting agency the 
nonpayment of rent that is unaffordable.