The Maine Affordable Housing Coalition advocates for policies at the state and federal level which will better meet the critical housing needs of Maine people. Updates on our legislative work and policy agenda can be found in our weekly newsletter here.

WAYS YOU CAN ADVOCATE FOR HOUSING RIGHT NOW

  • Attend your local planning board and council meetings to speak in favor or housing in your community – particularly affordable housing.
  • Call or email your State Representative, State Senator, or local elected official and tell them we need more housing in all communities in Maine.
  • ​Submit a letter to your town’s Planning Board, Council, or Select Board sharing why housing matters in your community.
  • ​Share your housing story in a letter to the editor, blog post, or social media post
  • ​Attend a housing summit or conference in Maine.
  • ​Connect with the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition or join today. There is strength in numbers.

TIPS FOR TESTIFYING AT A PUBLIC HEARING

Be Brief (stick to your key points) and avoid being repetitive
Submit written comments in advance of the meeting if possible
Avoid reading from a piece of paper — be personal and passionate and reflect on your personal experience
Bring someone you know with you — there is strength in numbers
Adjust the microphone before you begin talking
Practice will make it easier, as will watching others deliver their testimony

2024 MAHC STATE POLICY PRIORITIES – Contact Your Maine Representative and Senator

    • Increase housing production: Update the State Historic Tax Credit cap from $5 to $10M to reflect cost increases and new energy efficiency standards since the credit started in 2008. Align fiscal years for easier access.
    • Cut Red Tape so Zoning Supports Housing for All Maine People
    • Housing Stability to End The Housing Crisis: Monitoring rental stability bills for Maine’s lowest income renters

2024 FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES – Contact Maine’s Federal Delegation

  • Expand Resources to Spur Production
    1. Support Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA)
    2. Seek Treasury Clarity on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Government Sponsored Enterprises- GSEs) as not being Tax-Exempt Controlled Entities (TECE)
  • Support Rehab of Federally Funded Affordable Housing (HUD, Rural Development)
  • Expand access to rental supports to keep people in their home, or access affordable housing

MAHC advocacy successes

  • 2024 Maine Legislative Session: MAHC successfully asked for an additional $20 million in funding for LIHTC and Rural Affordable Rental Housing production and this was added to the Supplemental Budget. MAHC introduced legislation to expand the State Historic Tax Credit from $5 million to $10 million and align fiscal and calendar years for nonprofits that use fiscal years. An amended bill passed the Legislature, but got packaged with 35 other bills that got stalled as the session ended. This will remain a priority for 2025 for MAHC. MAHC also advocated successfully for an additional $16 million in funding for emergency shelters; $5 million to help residents purchase the land under their manufactured housing; and to prevent towns from retroactively changing zoning after a project has been submitted. The Legislature also launched a new emergency rental assistance program providing $18 million to prevent evictions and homelessness.
  • 2023 Maine Legislative Session The 2023 legislative session was unprecedented in its support of housing for all Maine people. For the first time, a Joint Select Committee on Housing was convened and also for the first time, funding for affordable housing development was included in the budget – an impressive $70 million for affordable rental units, and another $40 million in funding for supportive housing, shelters and other housing services. MAHC’s top priority in this session was to increase funding for housing production and that goal was achieved. Further, MAHC worked to defend LD2003’s zoning reform that will allow for responsible housing development throughout Maine with the passage of LD 1706.
  • 2022 Maine Legislative Session Summary  The work of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition this legislative session was marked with some major victories that will pave the way for more affordable housing for all Maine families. The power of the coalition was shown with a couple major victories:Our top priority bill, LD2003 sponsored by Speaker Fecteau, was the product of the Commission to Increase Housing Opportunities by Studying Zoning and Land Use Restrictions. Our outreach led to hours of testimony and hundreds of emails being generated to lawmakers in Maine. Despite efforts by the Maine Municipal Association to block passage, the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition worked with a diverse coalition that ultimately led to the passage of an amended bill that will allow for ADUs in all Maine towns, allow for up to four units on a single family lot, create density bonuses, and will create support for towns and municipalities with zoning and use ordinances to promote more housing development.In the first session, LD201 introduced by Senator Nate Libby, was passed by committee and both chambers but ultimately ended on the appropriations table going into the second session. The bill was critical for development, as it extended the historic tax credit to 2030. With MAHC’s support, the bill was moved off the table and gained unanimous support from the legislature in the final days of the legislative session. Governor Mills signed both bills into law on April 27, 2022.
    2022 Legislative Round Up
  • Maine Senior Housing Bond
  • Green Affordable Housing Bond, representing the largest single state investment in affordable housing in Maine history. For more information about the bond, please click here.
  • And many more…

ADVICE FOR ADVOCATES

Here are some resources that will inform your advocacy:

​Citizen’s Count: Affordable Housing and Property Rights

​Strong Towns: Getting a Response from Local Leaders

Strong Towns: 9 Ways to Change an Elected Official’s Mind​​

CityLab: NIMBYs Dominate Local Zoning Meetings

THE MAINE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

As an affordable housing advocacy organization, understanding the Maine legislative process is crucial for effectively advancing our goals. Here’s an overview of how a bill progresses from drafting to becoming law:

1. Drafting the Bill

The process begins with the drafting of a bill. Legislators, including both state representatives and senators, can introduce bills. In our case, we often work with legislators who are supportive of affordable housing initiatives. Advocacy groups like ours may also help draft bills or suggest language to ensure the bill addresses specific issues effectively.

2. Introduction and Referral to Committee

Once a bill is drafted, it is introduced in either the Maine House of Representatives or the Senate. After introduction, the bill is referred to a legislative committee that specializes in the bill’s subject matter. For affordable housing issues, this would typically be the Committee on Housing or a related committee.

3. Committee Review

The committee reviews the bill in detail, holding hearings where experts, advocates, and the public can provide testimony. This is a crucial stage where we, as an advocacy organization, can present data, share personal stories, and argue the case for why the bill is needed. The committee then deliberates on the bill, possibly amending it based on the feedback received.

4. Committee Vote

After reviewing and amending the bill, the committee votes on whether to report it out to the full legislature. If the bill is reported favorably, it moves forward; if not, it may be tabled or rejected.

5. Legislative Floor Debate and Vote

The bill is then debated by the entire chamber (either the House or Senate) where it was introduced. Legislators discuss its merits and may propose further amendments. Following debate, the bill is put to a vote. If it passes, it moves to the other chamber for consideration.

6. Consideration by the Other Chamber

The second chamber (House or Senate) follows a similar process: the bill is reviewed by a committee, debated on the floor, and voted on. The second chamber may make additional amendments. If there are differences between the two chambers’ versions, they must be reconciled, often through a conference committee.

7. Final Approval and Governor’s Decision

Once both chambers agree on the final version of the bill, it is sent to the Governor. The Governor can either sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without a signature, or veto it. If vetoed, the legislature can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.

8. Implementation

If signed into law, the bill is enacted and its provisions begin to be implemented. This often involves coordination with various state agencies and ongoing advocacy to ensure the law is effectively put into practice.

Understanding this process helps advocacy efforts to mobilize support, and influence legislative outcomes to benefit affordable housing initiatives.