An Act to Strengthen Housing Stability Services by Increasing
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1910
Committee: Housing and Economic Development
Sponsors: TALBOT ROSS, YUSUF
Amends: 22 MRSA §20-B

Legislative Document
No. 1910
S.P. 751
In Senate, May 6, 2025
An Act to Strengthen Housing Stability Services by Increasing 
Support and Outreach
Reference to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development suggested and 
ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative YUSUF of Portland and
Senator: CURRY of Waldo, Representatives: GOLEK of Harpswell, JULIA of Waterville, 
MALON of Biddeford.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §20-B is enacted to read:
§20-B.  Services to prevent homelessness
The department shall contract with community-based nonprofit organizations with 
experience in outreach, engagement and social service delivery to individuals and families 
experiencing homelessness in order to hire outreach caseworkers and housing stability 
workers to work with individuals who are unhoused or experience chronic homelessness 
by cycling through emergency settings such as shelters, jails, hospitals and warming 
centers. The outreach caseworkers and housing stability workers shall assist individuals to 
attain permanent housing, ensure ongoing support services once the individuals are housed 
and ensure that unhoused individuals are in safe indoor spaces provided by emergency 
shelters while housing is being secured.
Sec. 2. Department of Health and Human Services contracts for outreach 
caseworkers.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall issue a request for 
proposals to contract for outreach caseworker services as required by the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 22, section 20-B.  The contracts with community-based nonprofit 
organizations must be sufficient to hire 9 outreach caseworkers.  The department must 
contract with organizations that have experience in outreach, engagement and social 
service delivery to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.  The contracts 
issued under this section must be for a period of time set by the department, and the 
department may renew the contracts at the end of the set period.  The contracts must include 
the following requirements.
1. Nine outreach caseworkers must be hired.
2. The caseworkers must work with unhoused individuals to attain permanent housing, 
ensure ongoing support services once the individuals are housed and ensure that unhoused 
individuals are in safe indoor spaces provided by emergency shelters while housing is being 
secured.
3. The caseworkers must be distributed across the State, as determined by agreement 
between the 3 regional homeless councils represented on the Statewide Homeless Council, 
and targeted to areas that have the greatest concentration of unhoused individuals.  As 
circumstances change, the caseworkers may be redistributed geographically.
4. The caseload for the caseworkers must be up to 25 individuals with intensive needs 
and up to 35 additional cases that require less intensive but ongoing support.
Sec. 3. Department of Health and Human Services contracts for housing 
stability workers.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall issue a request 
for proposals to contract for housing stability workers as required by the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 22, section 20-B.  The contracts with community-based nonprofit 
organizations must be sufficient to hire 9 housing stability workers.  The department must 
contract with organizations that have experience in outreach, engagement and social 
service delivery to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.  The contracts 
issued under this section must be for a period of time set by the department, and the 
department may renew the contracts at the end of the set period.  The contracts must include 
the following requirements.
1. Nine housing stability workers must be hired.
2. The housing stability workers must work with individuals experiencing chronic 
homelessness cycling through various emergency settings, such as shelters, jails, hospitals 
and warming centers, and provide those individuals with intensive housing or rehousing 
services to ensure housing stability.
3. The housing stability workers must be distributed across the State, as determined by 
agreement between the 3 regional homeless councils represented on the Statewide 
Homeless Council, and targeted to areas that have the greatest concentration of individuals 
experiencing chronic homelessness.  As circumstances change, the workers may be 
redistributed geographically.
4. The caseload for the housing stability workers must be up to 25 individuals with 
intensive needs and up to 35 additional cases that require less intensive but ongoing 
support.
Sec. 4.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Purchased Social Services 0228
Initiative: Provides funding to contract with community-based nonprofit organizations to 
hire 9 outreach caseworkers.
GENERAL FUND
2025-26
2026-27
All Other
$800,000
$800,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$800,000
$800,000
Purchased Social Services 0228
Initiative: Provides funding to contract with community-based nonprofit organizations to 
hire 9 housing stability workers.
GENERAL FUND
2025-26
2026-27
All Other
$900,000
$900,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$900,000
$900,000
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2025-26
2026-27
GENERAL FUND
$1,700,000
$1,700,000
__________
__________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$1,700,000
$1,700,000
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with 
community-based nonprofit organizations through a request for proposals process for 9 
outreach caseworkers and 9 housing stability workers.  The outreach caseworkers and 
housing stability workers provide housing and supportive services to individuals who are 
unhoused and chronically homeless, as well as ensuring that the individuals are in safe 
indoor environments while awaiting permanent housing.  The contracted workers are 
distributed around the State and targeted to areas with higher populations of individuals 
who are homeless.  The bill requires ongoing appropriations of $800,000 each year for 
outreach caseworkers and $900,000 each year for housing stability workers.