Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee

EMERGENCY SHELTER ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE One City Center Thursday, March 21, 2024 9:00 AM AGENDA 1. Introductions a. January 18, 2024 and February 15, 2024 Minutes 2. Monthly Shelter Bed Usage Statistics a. February 2024 Monthly Shelter Statistics 3. Capacity at the Homeless Services Center (HSC) and 166 Riverside 4. Hub 2 Update 5. Region 1 Update 6. Federal, State and Local Legislation a. Bill Tracking 7. Other Business Next Meeting April 18, 2024 Time: 9:00 AM Location: One City Center If you should have any questions, please contact: Aaron Geyer Adam Harr Health & Human Services Department Health & Human Services Department Social Services Division Social Services Division (207) 482-5131 (207) 482-5144 aeg@portlandmaine.gov ash@portlandmaine.gov Page 1 1-18-24 ESAC Mee�ng Minutes Camping Updates: Concerns over the tent heat map being created by the City were raised and discussed. Specific concerns included Issues of safety and issues of privacy. Capturing basic informa�on about the number of tents across the City itself wasn’t a concern, but rather the capturing the specific loca�ons and public sharing of this informa�on was more concerning. The policy around small campsites being swept (separate from the larger encampment sweeps) was raised as a ques�on. Preble Street had been informed of smaller campsites (with only a few tents and placed out of site) were being swept (or told they would be swept). This would be a change in prac�ce, and opposed to the guidance street outreach workers were providing to those unwilling to go to the HSC (telling people to have smaller sites, kept clean, and placed in less visible loca�ons). The HSC has seen 9 housing placements this month so far. It also was seeing an average of 10 nights per stay and quick fluctua�ons in shelter stays – at one point it could be near full, and the next night there could be 20 open beds. Hub 2 (Cumberland County) currently has 427 people on the by name list, with over 200 people repor�ng as unsheltered on the list. The Point in Time (PIT) Count is happening on Tuesday. We know the unsheltered numbers are fluctua�ng regularly right now, especially due to the cold winter weather that is encouraging more people to go inside. From the providers, they are seeing a lot of people who want to go to the shelter. A lot more people are asking to go to the shelter, and a lot of street outreach work has shi�ed to ge�ng people to the shelter (in addi�on to tradi�onal van outreach). This is not a specific number, but anecdotal. People saying it feels like a different environment now, a good shi� in a�tude from people who want to go to the shelter – it is becoming a more viable op�on and it feels hopeful that more people are being housed, which would increase interest in going to shelter as we move forward. From the last report of 127 tents, it has dropped now to 46 tents. Addi�onally, 75 to 80 people came to warming shelter. The HSC has had 400 intakes since November, and was down to 8 beds available for that night. DHHS now has caseworker embedded onsite so all appointments can happen onsite. They are working to do the same with the DMV to get photo IDs as well. As of January 10th, 3 people had been barred from the HSC (for violent offenses/significant the�). The atmosphere is so much beter than the Oxford street shelter that it is calmer, there is more space for people, and people can deescalate so they don’t blow up. Page 2 There is also now a pet fostering op�on in place to minimize the barrier for those who are unsheltered with pets. There was a discussion that the presence of encampments can actually increase the number of people being unsheltered. • Over 25 years, the City had an increase of 60 people in the shelter system at one �me. In 7 months, we had an increase of 300 people. • There were a few driving factors: First, people who were situa�onally homeless were placed in hotels during this �me (through the Covid-era Emergency Rental Assistance program). Normally, these people should have been in and out of the system and returned to housing with supports, but instead of returned to housing they stayed in hotels. The homeless system needs the ou�low. This is what happened prior to COVID – but with ERA responses we kept people in hotels for 2 years without focusing on ge�ng them into housing. So when the ERA ended, these people had become ‘entrenched’ in this homelessness and we didn’t have a plan to transi�on them into housing. And, we didn’t have enough affordable housing available to compound the issue. • There was a similar context in Hennepin County, Minnesota. However, they focused on housing naviga�on, so when ERA ended, their hotels were empty and people had found housing. They had a 98% reten�on rate in that housing. • There was a ques�on about why it is so hard to know how many people are experiencing unsheltered homelessness right now. HMIS used to be a really strong count, but fell down when we opened the hotels, we didn’t put those people into HMIS. • This is what the Hub Coordinators are doing. Nakesha shared the process of coordinated entry and case conferencing, and the by name list. o Right now, we don’t have enough resources to match with every person who is unhoused. o There are mul�ple needs – we need more housing resources, and we need more staffing. We may not need to know where people are and their individual needs, but we do need to know the total numbers. o Silos are breaking down – organiza�ons aren’t keeping their numbers to themselves or their resources – it is taking �me. o But, it feels like Portland and Hub 2 will be the one that shows the state that if we can break down the silos and share informa�on and resources we can house more people, more quickly. o Lauren from the City shared an anecdote from another COC that implemented coordinated entry in 2017 – that saw it took �me. It was a constant evolu�on of asking who needs to be at the table. Warming Center Updates: Page 3 The warming center is now opening if it is forecasted to drop below 20 degrees at any point in a 24 hour period. It would be great if we have a way to communicate with everyone if the warming shelter is open tonight. At the state level, there’s an effort to not look at warming centers as shelter overflow – looking at crea�ng an overflow shelter network so we can handle the ebb and flow of need. Legisla�ve Updates: Cullen shared both na�onal and state legisla�ve updates. Na�onal: Housing credit improvement act – (King and Collins) – support Case on homelessness is coming before the supreme court Listening sessions with HUD about adding a 30 day no�ce State: Two big bills coming up – 1) $10mil for emergency shelters 2) Reimbursing more per night, and Medicaid use toward rents Carryover bills – Maine Affordable Housing Coali�on – bill around get historic tax credit expanded Housing voucher system Preble Street is providing talking points for LD 2038 and LD 2126 – with clear messaging about how and why. Region 1 update: Region 1 had not held a mee�ng since the last ESAC mee�ng. Nothing new to report. Hub Report: There are 427 people on the by name list. The Hub has its first housing first apartment coming online soon, unit for coordinated entry case conferencing. The PIT Count is coming up and there are a few volunteers on board. USM will be reaching out to students interested in joining. Trainings went out on Tuesday. And, there will be an FAQ on Monday, the day before PIT Count. We have warming kits to provide as well – to en�ce people to par�cipate. There are many VASH funds/vouchers available – so make sure to connect with that resource for any veterans experiencing homelessness. Page 4  Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee Remote Meeting Thursday, February 15, 2024 9:00 am – 10:00 am Minutes Name Organization Name Organization Adam Harr City of Portland Brian Townsend Commonspace Anne-Marie Brown UWSM George Rheault Resident Aaron Geyer City of Portland Ben Martineau HVJ Eric brewer HVJ Mike Guthrie City of Portland Cullen Ryan CHOM Terrence Miller Preble Street Stephanie Gilbert DA Office Lauren bower City of Portland Kirk Carlsen Milestone Recovery Briana Costello Maine Medical Center Meeting Summary The ESG budget was presented and there will be public comment on March 18th and April 1, 2024 at the City Council. During the statistics, the group discussed exploring getting the deduplicated number of people with CTOs and who truly has no shelter eligibility as a result, adding data/ a slide for the warming centers, and adding 166 Riverside to the statistics. 166 is for asylum seekers and HSC is for anyone, prioritizing the unsheltered. January was the first month that the city did not see a fatal overdose in two and a half years; HSC administered 38 doses of Narcan in January. Introductions • Brian moved to approve the December meeting minutes, Taylor seconded and the minutes were approved. The January and February minutes will be reviewed at the March meeting. • Jenny Stasio could not attend to give the Region 1 update. January Emergency Shelter Statistics • Kristin Jenkins reached out for the lakes region shelter they are exploring. Page 5  Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee • South Portland has a lot of intakes this month at 13 This is a perennial issue on the Mills budget discussed next week; it would be helpful in the legislation side to show how many other towns are utilizing Portland shelters. • Update the HSC HIC to 258 with the temporary increase. • Add the capacity of the warming centers that we know of; what is the capacity to actually be inside. o Separate slide for warming center. • New developments have come online; is there tracking of those new developments such as 22 park avenue. o That info would be on coordinated entry but it is unclear how granular that info is. How to track and report those data. o 22 people from LTS moved into Phoenix Flats. o The CE BNL should give us more info as it is established • How do we want to include 166 Riverside? o 166 is full; are Asylees being turned away? (Continued in lower agenda item.) • Add based on self reporting on the intake residency slide. • The physical space creates less conflict at the HSC vs OSS. • Are the warming center serving the 28* individuals with CTOs? o There are 28 active CTOs but multiple of those CTOs could be for one person. o Is the neighborhood prosecutor able say if if the CTOs span multiple shelters for one person to get the individual number? • Ashlea’s place was created to serve the hardest to house. • The teen shelter is looking for the THUD bill for renovating the teen shelter. That renovation was approved 2 years ago. • Re-label FSWC on nighty count slide as the hotels for Through These Doors. ESG • HUD has not made a final allocation so the budget is based on last years level. • Public comment will be on March 18th and April 1, 2024 at the City Council • Hoping HUD will include actual budget but if not the figures will go up or down accordingly. • There is one RRH person at the HSC. • The budget covers life skills, tenant workshops, and RRH at HSC. 166 Riverside Shelter and HSC Capacity • 166 is for asylum seekers and HSC is for anyone, prioritizing the unsheltered. • The Housing Inventory group of the ECRT decided to prioritize the truly unsheltered. • The provider group on Monday concurred that there is not a group of asylum seekers that are unsheltered. o There was frustration that is took 4 hours over WhatsApp for providers to find places for asylum seekers to stay. Page 6  Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee o The people that are sleeping outside do not have a WhatsApp network to find shelter and must sleep outside. • We have moved the curfew to 9:00 PM and now to 11:00 PM which is how the HSC ends up with beds open. • The living room will send people to the HSC up until 11:00 PM. o Henry and Megan have worked out that people can be sent to the living room and from there will be taken to the HSC. • We need federal resources. • “Check-in” is in the morning for people to let staff know they still plan to stay at the HSC at that night. You know you have a bed at the end of the day by doing check-in 4AM to 9AM. • We send an emails at 9:00 AM with bed availability and then another at 6PM. • If asylum seekers were sleeping outside, they would be welcomed into the shelter like anyone else. • The Warming Center at 425 Congress is still available when it is opened. o They are funded through the end of March. o It was opened last night and on Saturday. • This policy creates capacity for people outside. Asylees moving into the HSC led the shelter from serving 1,700 people annually down to 1,000; this policy helps us meet the needs of more people. o Leaving some beds open will allow us to serve more people over time. o This also allows for PD to drop people off in the night during snow storms. • January was the first month that the city did not see a fatal overdose in two and a half years. o HSC administered 38 doses of Narcan in January. o If someone has a fatal overdose in the county jail, does that count as a Portland fatal overdose?  It would be reported via emergency services. • We provided the numbers to Senator King's office from the United Way. Overall since 2022, this region has received $7,509,758.02 in EFSP Humanitarian Aid funding, supporting ten agencies providing services in Southern Maine. The overall breakdown by Fiscal Year is: o FY 2022 = $2,855,842.49 o FY 2023 = $3,614,857.53 o FY 2024 = $1,039,058.00 o Highlighting the sharp decline of funding in critical funding • We are operating at an emergency capacity of 258 above the 208 capacity. • From a hospital perspective 166 has been very helpful to not keep people in hospital when it was not medically necessary nor discharge to unsheltered homelessness. HUB 2 • 537 participants on the BNL Page 7  Emergency Shelter Assessment Committee • Case conferencing had their first housing on January 29th with 4 more units coming online for them soon. • Maine State Prison raised $12,000 to support unsheltered people in Portland and made 650 warming kits to 14 organizations. • South Portland housing navigator is online and SoPo is the first community outside of Portland to join HUB 2 CE. • HUB partners have joined to apply for a grant. Legislative Update • Federal o Waiting for congress to sign funding bill. • State o Mills supplemental budget includes 16 million  10 million for low barrier shelters. Page 8  PORTLAND HOMELESS SHELTERS Average Total Number of Individuals Residing in Shelters* per Night: February, 2023 February, 2024 ADOLESCENTS 21 Individuals 17 Individuals FAMILIES 174 Individuals 128 Individuals 64 Average Families 43 Average Families ADULTS 322 Individuals 349 Individuals Total 518 Individuals 494 Individuals Prepared by: City of Portland, Health & Human Page Services 9 Department, Social Services Division  HOMELESS SERVICES CENTER *Because people are entering FEBRUARY, 2024 the country in other communities then relocating here, what would be Intakes by Residency considered out of country intakes are captured as out of state. MAINE TOWN OUT-OF-STATE *OUT-OF-COUNTRY Auburn 2 Lewiston 4 Springvale 1 CO 1 Augusta 2 Monroe 1 Standish 1 CT 1 Bath 2 Naples 3 Topsham 1 FL 1 Berwick Norway Warren 1 1 1 MA 1 Biddeford Old Orchard Wells 1 3 1 ND 1 Beach Bridgton 1 Orono 1 Westbrook 2 NH 4 Casco 1 Rumford 2 Windham 2 NM 1 Mechanic Falls 1 Saco 1 Wiscasset 1 NV 1 Conner Township 1 South Berwick 1 Yarmouth 1 OR 1 Damariscotta 1 South Paris 1 VT 1 Gorham 3 South Portland 3 Page 10 MAINE TOWN: 49 OUT-OF-STATE: 14 OUT-OF-COUNTRY: 0 PORTLAND: 26 Unknown: 3 TOTAL: 92  PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE FEBRUARY, 2024 SHELTER INTAKES BY MONTH Current Bed 2019 2023 INTAKES Capacity 2024 16+ at shelter Through These Doors 7/7 and hotel overflow Family Shelter 17/62 146 Joe Kreisler** 7 24 Milestone 19 36 HSC (Men) 68 208 + 50 HSC(Women) 24 temporary beds 19 25 at Shelter, 15 Florence House at Safe Haven Elena’s Way** 5 40 *NOTE: this and the next two slides compare the current year, last year, and the last year before the pandemic. * * All new intakes were unsheltered. TOTAL 166 560+ Page 11  PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE FEBRUARY, 2024 HOUSING PLACEMENTS BY MONTH 2019 2023 TOTAL 2024 BED HOUSING TEMPORARY PERMANENT NIGHTS PLACEMENTS Through 3 /11 1,575 3 / 11 These Doors Family 6 / 19 4,763 6/19 Shelter Joe Kreisler 2 79 1 1 Milestone 1 71 1 HSC (Men) 4 400 4 HSC 1 147 1 (Women) Florence 4 529 1 3 House *Starting October, 2013, Oxford Street Shelter (replaced by HSC) shifted Elena’s Way 2 691 2 prioritization of housing placements to their 30 longest-term stayers. TOTAL 23 2 21 Page 12  PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE FEBRUARY, 2024 1st TIME HOMELESSNESS STATISTICS (BASED ON SELF-REPORTING) % of % of 2019 2023 1st Time 1ST TIME the Portland 2024 All Homeless % of All HOMELESSNESS Shelter First Time STATISTICS Intakes Intakes Intake ’s Homeless Intakes Intakes Through These 7/7 0 - - - Doors Family Shelter 17/62 15/56 88% 10% 25% Joe Kreisler 7 5 71% 4% 8% Milestone 19 10 53% 11% 17% HSC (Men) 68 17 25% 41% 29% HSC (Women) 24 6 25% 14% 10% Florence House 19 6 32% 11% 10% Elena’s Way 5 0 - - - Page 13 TOTAL 166 59 36%  PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE FEBRUARY, 2024 *CTOs from the former Oxford Street Shelter carried over as restrictions CTOs FROM SHELTER with the same end date as the CTOs issued for the OSS shelter address and are included in this number. Anyone restricted from the HSC can ask to speak to management to request lifting the restriction. Total Current Criminal Trespass Orders Medical 2023 CTOs in the 2024 CTO STATISTICS Restrictions Current CTOs Month in Month Family Shelter 0 0 Joe Kreisler 0 3 Milestone 0 10 HSC* 2 11 Florence House 0 3 Elena’s Way 0 0 TOTAL 2 27 CTOs Issued in the Month 10 8 6 6 6 4 4 5 3 3 2 2 1 1 0 SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB Page 14  PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE FEBRUARY, 2024 HOUSING PLACEMENTS BY TYPE Recovery Housing Family Sect. 8/ No S+C BRAP STEP OTHER* GA Home Project/PSH Reunification HCV Subsidy Through These Doors 1 1 1 Family Shelter 4 2 Joe Kreisler 1 1 Milestone 1 HSC (Men) 1 1 1 1 HSC (Women) 1 Florence House 3 1 Elena’s Way 1 1 TOTAL 1 3 1 5 4 6 3 *Rapid Re-Housing, Transitional Housing, Distribution of Placements in the Month: 23 Jobcorps 1 3 1 5 4 6 3 2024 Placements: 55 25 11 4 6 5 0 2 0 1 1 Page 15  Calendar Through These Family Florence Joe HSC Elena's Total Day Milestone TTD Hotels Doors Shelter House Kreisler Beds Way Bed Nights 1 17 88 32 18 35 238 4 40 472 2 17 88 31 17 36 230 4 40 463 17 88 33 13 30 451 PORTLAND, CITY-WIDE 3 226 4 40 4 17 88 33 17 36 225 4 40 460 5 17 84 36 16 35 452 FEBRUARY, 2024 224 0 40 6 13 84 34 18 38 229 0 40 456 7 14 89 38 17 37 467 SHELTER COUNT BY NIGHT 232 0 40 8 15 96 40 16 34 234 0 38 473 9 16 103 40 15 36 233 0 38 481 10 16 103 39 15 36 226 0 38 473 11 13 103 39 14 38 233 0 38 478 12 13 108 40 19 36 227 0 37 480 13 14 114 40 16 37 230 0 37 488 14 16 114 40 16 37 241 0 39 503 15 16 118 41 19 40 243 0 39 516 On February: 29 16 16 123 40 17 38 245 0 39 518 17 16 121 39 16 36 239 0 39 506 527 individuals 18 15 121 41 19 36 238 0 39 509 19 15 121 41 18 37 236 0 39 507 (including families) 20 16 125 40 17 36 241 0 38 513 21 16 130 38 16 37 240 0 38 515 were utilizing shelter services in 22 16 130 38 17 37 247 0 39 524 23 16 125 38 16 35 249 0 39 518 Portland 24 16 125 37 17 31 242 0 39 507 25 16 125 38 17 38 241 0 39 514 26 16 127 38 19 32 243 0 40 515 27 16 129 40 20 33 242 0 40 520 28 16 129 40 19 34 247 0 40 525 29 16 135 40 21 32 243 0 40 527 Total 453 3,234 1,104 495 1,033 6,864 16 1,132 14,331 Avg/night 16 112 38 17 36 237 1 39 494 Highest 17 135 41 21 40 249 4 40 527 Lowest 13 84 31 13 30 224 0 37 451 Page 16  Non-LTS HOMELESS SERVICES CENTER & COMMUNITY OVERFLOW HOUSING PLACEMENT DATA LTS 35 2023 HSC Placements: Non/Long Term Stayer 30 25 20 13 12 15 9 6 10 10 7 6 8 12 7 5 7 10 6 9 7 3 1 4 4 2 6 1 3 0 1 January February March April May June July August September October November December 35 2024 HSC Placements: Non/Long Term Stayer 30 25 20 15 10 5 6 5 0 1 January February March April May June July August September October November December Page 17  HOMELESS SERVICES CENTER PERMANENT AND TRANSITIONAL 2024 HOUSING PLACEMENT DATA Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL % TOTAL HOUSING PLACEMENTS 7 5 12 100% Portland 6 3 9 75.0% Auburn 0.0% Biddeford 1 1 8.3% Brunswick 0.0% Gorham 0.0% Lewiston 0.0% Sanford 1 1 8.3% South Portland 0.0% Westbrook 0.0% Other Maine Towns 0.0% Reunification with friends/family in another Maine town* 0.0% Reunification with friends/family in another 1 Page 18 state* 1 8.3%  FAMILY SHELTER PERMANENT AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PLACEMENT DATA 14 2024 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Portland Auburn Augusta Biddeford Gorham Gray Lewiston Lyman Mexico Old Orchard Sanford South Westbrook Yarmouth Other Maine Out of State Beach Portland Town Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 100% TOTAL HOUSING PLACEMENTS 10 6 16 Portland 9 5 14 88% Auburn 0% Augusta 0% Biddeford 0% Gorham 0% Gray 0% Lewiston 1 1 6% Lyman 0% Mexico 0% Old Orchard Beach 0% Sanford 0% South Portland 0% Westbrook 1 1 6% Yarmouth 0% Other Maine Town 0% Page 19 Out of State 0%  Policy/Advocacy Update – Revised: 3/4/24 Federal Legislation Update BUDGET & FUNDING-RELATED ITEMS - Updates Tax Package – Update – The House passed its tax package, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7024), at the end of January. The bill now faces a full vote in the Senate. The tax bill includes provisions to expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC), as well as top two top legislative priorities related to affordable housing (also included in the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act that has widespread bipartisan support). The tax bill would do the following for affordable housing: • Restore the 12.5 percent allocation increase for nine percent LIHTCs for 2023 to 2025; and • Lower the 50 percent bond financing test to 30 percent for 2024 to 2025. FY 24 Budget – Update – On 2/29, Congress passed, and the President signed, another short-term continuing resolution (CR) to extend federal funding for THUD through 3/8. To avoid passing a large, 12-bill appropriations deal, Congress will instead move the 12 bills in two separate waves: the first six bills (including THUD) will expire on 3/8, while the remaining six bills will expire on 3/22. Congress is likely to pass multiple mini-bus spending bills (vs. one large omnibus bill). FY 24 THUD Budget – Update – On 3/3, congressional leaders released a final FY24 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill that provides significant funding for HUD’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs. Overall, the final spending bill provides HUD programs with $70 billion, which is $8.3 billion more than FY23-enacted levels. The final spending bill provides significant resources for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which was funded at $32.4 billion, or a $2.1 billion increase over FY23-enacted levels. This funding level is higher than the levels proposed in either the House or Senate versions, which could have led to a loss of 80,000 to 112,000 housing vouchers, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. As a result of the higher funding level, there should be sufficient resources to renew all existing rental assistance contracts and expand rental assistance to an additional 3,000 households. The bill also provides increased or level resources for: • $4.05 billion for the Homeless Assistance Grants program ($418 million increase in funding from FY23-enacted levels). • $3.41 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund ($30 million compared to last year’s levels), and $5.5 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund ($367 million more than in FY23). • $16 billion for PBS8 ($1.1 billion increase from FY 23). The bill provides level funding for: • $505 million for Housing for Persons with AIDs (HOPWA). • $86 million for Fair Housing programs. • $57.5 million for Housing Counseling. • $22 million for Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants. • $20 million for the Eviction Prevention Grant program. The bill provides decreased funding for: • $1.25 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (a $250 million cut). • $75 million for Choice Neighborhoods (a $275 million cut). • $913 million for Section 202 Housing for the Elderly (a $162 million cut). • $208 million for Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities (a $152 million cut). • $119 million for Policy Development and Research (a $26 million cut). • $345 million for Healthy Homes (a $65 million cut). BILLS – Updates Farm Bill – Update – At a House Agriculture Committee hearing on 2/14/24, Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) proposed a funding framework for the Farm Bill that included a $30 billion cut in SNAP benefits over 10 years. SNAP is the most effective tool for addressing food insecurity in the nation. Per CBPP, “this proposal would limit USDA’s future adjustments to the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is used to set SNAP benefits, to account only for food price inflation. The TFP is a set of foods that is supposed to represent a frugal but nutritionally adequate diet. A bipartisan directive in the most recent farm bill, enacted in 2018, requires USDA to periodically reevaluate the TFP to account for factors other than food price inflation, including changes in dietary guidance and food consumption patterns. This directive led USDA to make a substantial TFP adjustment in 2021, making up for five decades of deferred adjustments, through a science-driven process.” Though per the Chairman, average benefits would still rise each year with food price inflation that would be the only adjustment. Per CBPP “Over time, the scientific evidence on healthy diets evolves and costs may go up for reasons other than inflation. If Congress limits future updates to cover inflation only, that’s a benefit cut, as reflected in the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office cost estimate.” HR 6696 / S 3463 Eviction Prevention Act – No New Update – On 12/11 Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the “Eviction Prevention Act” (H.R.6696, S.3463) in the House and Senate, respectively. The bill would authorize new grants to provide legal representation to tenants, create the country’s first federal evictions database, and mandate a government report on evictions in the U.S. S 2932 Housing ACCESS Act – No New Update – On 9/26 Senator Markey introduced the Housing ACCESS Act, which would align housing and services resources and address the barriers providers face when seeking Medicaid reimbursement for housing-related 1 Page 20 services and support. It also requires a national study to determine rates that allow providers to pay living wages, reduce staff turnover, and ensure evidence-based case ratios. A companion bill is expected in the House. Farm Bill – No New Update– The US Farm Bill is a critical piece of legislation that sets agricultural policies nationwide for the next five years. The Farm Bill offers an opportunity to expand/enhance SNAP benefits for low-income households across the country. Some lawmakers wish to make changes to SNAP through the Farm bill which would reduce eligibility for and availability of SNAP benefits for households. HR 5221 Homeless Children and Youth Act – No New Update – On 8/15 Representatives Mikie Sherrill, Bill Posey, Delia Ramirez, and Don Bacon reintroduced the bipartisan Homeless Children and Youth Act. This bill remedies the issue of most children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness being ineligible for homeless assistance because they do not meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of homelessness by aligning federal definitions of homelessness for children and youth, streamlining assistance, leveraging resources, and bringing greater visibility to the reality of family and youth homelessness. S 2701/HR 5254 Housing for All Act of 2023 – No New Update – Introduced by Senator Alex Padilla on 7/27 in the Senate (and by Rep Ted Lieu in the House on 8/22), this bill would address the homelessness and housing crises, moving towards the goal of providing for a home for all Americans. S 1557/ HR 3238 The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act – No New Update – Senators Collins and King cosponsored bipartisan legislation to create nearly two million new affordable homes across the country – including thousands in Maine. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to provide more homes for low-income people, support small businesses trying to attract workers, and fill the state’s gap of more than 20,000 affordable housing units. The bill would: • Increase the number of credits available to states by 50 percent for the next two years and make the temporary 12.5 percent increase secured in 2018 permanent—which has already helped build more than 59,000 additional affordable housing units nationwide. • Stabilize financing for workforce housing projects built using private activity bonds by decreasing the amount of private activity bonds needed to secure Housing Credit funding. As a result, projects would have to carry less debt, and more projects would be eligible to receive funding. S 1436, CHARGE Act of 2023 – No New Update – Introduced on 5/3 by Senator Jon Tester, this bill would permanently authorize additional services for Veterans experiencing homelessness that were authorized at the beginning of the pandemic. These services include: Basic essentials like food, shelter, clothing, blankets, and hygiene items; Transportation to appointments with service providers and conducting housing searches; and ways to stay in touch with providers and landlords, such as tablets, smartphones, and data plans. HR 3848, Housing Our Military Veterans Effectively Act of 2023 – No New Update – This bill passed the House on 12/5 and was sent to the Senate for consideration. Introduced on 7/26 by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, this bill would revive crucial services authorized during the pandemic to provide lifesaving services under the Grant and Per Diem Program (GPD), which funds transitional housing programs for homeless veterans. These services include transportation to doctor appointments and food banks, communications devices for hearing impaired veterans, personal care products along with a dearth of other vital services and resources. that have led to a significant increase in the housing stability and improved the lives of veterans across the country. S 1257 / HR 3776, Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act – No New Update – This bill was reintroduced in the Senate on 4/25 by Senators Van Hollen and Young. This bipartisan bill would create 250,000 new housing vouchers, paired with mobility- related services, to help low-income families with young children move to communities of their choice, including neighborhoods with high-performing schools and high-quality childcare and early education programs. S 680 / HR 6970 DASH Act – No new update – Reintroduced by Senator Wyden on 3/7, the DASH Act would make a generational investment to house all people experiencing homelessness, tackle the housing affordability crisis, and expand homeownership opportunities for young people by creating a new down payment tax credit for first-time homebuyers. On 1/11/24, Representatives Val Hoyle (D-OR) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) introduced a companion bill in the House. The DASH Act would make stable, safe and decent housing available for all by: • Housing everyone experiencing homelessness within five years, and prioritizing children and families for placement, by issuing them a Housing Choice Voucher, because young children are heavily impacted by housing instability, and because housing is a chief determinant of health; • Expanding health, child care, financial and nutrition services for families and individuals to stay on a path to unassisted housing stability, because the climb out of housing poverty is nearly impossible to complete alone; • Greatly increasing the production of deeply affordable housing for families exiting homelessness and for low-income households by investing in effective, efficient existing programs and reforming the tax code to strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to weather the economic fallout from the pandemic, as well as establish a Renter's Tax Credit and Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC); • Investing in homeownership in underserved communities and for low income Americans with new tax credits and down payment assistance, including a down payment tax credit for first-time homebuyers; and • Incentivizing environmentally-friendly development strategies and land use policies. • Permanent authorization of appropriations for McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act grants. 2 Page 21 HR 1708 Housing is a Human Right Act of 2023 – No New Update – On 3/22 Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced the Housing is a Human Right Act of 2023, which would address root causes of homelessness, meet the needs of community members experiencing harms from homelessness, transition communities towards providing housing for all, end penalization of homelessness, and ensure full democratic participation and inclusion of persons experiencing homelessness, and for other purposes. S 255 Asylum Seekers Work Authorization Act of 2023 – No New Update – On 2/3 Senators Collins and Sinema reintroduced the Asylum Seekers Work Authorization Act of 2023, which would make asylum seekers eligible to receive work authorizations starting 30 days after filing an asylum application. Senator King is an original co-sponsor. On 3/1, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree reintroduced the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act in the House. HR 9587 Tenants’ Right to organize Act – No new update – On 12/19 Rep. Andy Levin introduced the Tenant’s Right to Organize Act. Per NLIHC, the bill would “protect the organizing rights of tenants with Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) and tenants living in Low- Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties. Currently, only public housing tenants have a legally recognized right to organize. In extending the right to organize to HCV and LIHTC tenants, the bill recognizes that all tenants have the right to decent, safe, stable, and sanitary housing.” RULES/Other Federal Items of Note Supreme Court Case Re. Homelessness – No new update – The U.S. Supreme Court announced on 1/12 that it will hear Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, a case that will determine whether people experiencing homelessness have a constitutional right to camp on public property when they do not have a place to sleep. The Supreme Court will decide whether laws regulating camping on public property constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. Proposed Rule to Provide 30-Day Notice before Initiating Eviction Proceedings for Non-Payment of Rent – No new update – HUD will hold a listening session for tenants regarding a proposed rule that would require a public housing agency (PHA) or owner of a property assisted with Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) to provide a 30-day notice to a household before starting a formal judicial eviction procedure to terminate a lease for non-payment of rent. The listening session is scheduled for 12:30 pm ET on January 23. Register for the session here. State Update: Please see the Bill Tracking document for the State legislature Update. 3 Page 22 131ST LEGISLATURE SECOND SESSION BILL TRACKING SHORT LIST OF KEY BILLS The Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature begins January 3, 2024. Statutory adjournment is April 17, 2024. REVISED: 3/5/24 USEFUL LINKS ● Maine Legislature Homepage: http://legislature.maine.gov/ ● Sign up to Testify and/or submit testimony here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/ Common Acronyms: AFA = Appropriations and Financial Affairs. HHS = Health and Human Services. OTP = Ought to Pass. OTP-AM = Ought to Pass as Amended. ONTP = Ought Not to Pass. Color code: Orange font = Budget bill; Black font = Homelessness related bill; Blue font = Service related; Green font = Housing/Rental Assistance related; Purple font = General Assistance & Safety Net related bills; Pink font = Food security related bills; highlighted in yellow = passed the House and/or Senate; highlighted in green = signed by the Governor and will become Public Law; Red text = the bill is now dead. BUDGET BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 2214 Governor’s Bill An Act Making Unified Supplemental Public Hearing 2/23/24 The Governor released her Supplemental Budget. Appropriations and Allocations for the - Part GG and Part HH - Part A; Part B; General Fund Bill Language. Expenditures of State Government, General Fund AFA Committee ● PART FF: establishes the Office of New Americans within the and Other Funds, and Changing Certain Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and also Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Public Hearing 2/26/24 establishes an advisory council to the Office of New Operations of State Government for the - Part OO Americans Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2024 and June 30, ● PART GG: Transfers $10,000,000 from the unappropriated 2025 Work Session 3/7/24 surplus of the General Fund to the Maine State Housing (aka Supplemental Budget) Authority for new housing units through the Affordable Homeownership program ● PART HH: $16 million for the Emergency Housing Relief Fund (one-time funding): Emergency Housing Relief Fund Program, Other Special Revenue Funds account to supplement or establish programs addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness or facing other immediate housing needs, and support other uses that address housing emergencies in the State, such as through privately-operated low barrier shelter, winter warming shelters, legal services, and other wraparound settlement supports intended to help individuals integrate into Maine’s workforce and communities to ensure that winter warming shelters, lower barrier shelters, longer term shelters and transitional housing programs can remain open, operating, and supporting the emergency housing needs of Maine people. -Part A specifies this is one-time funding. ● Part OO: This Part requires the transfer of $5,000,000 on or before June 30, 2025 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human 1 Page 23  Services, General Assistance – Reimbursement to Cities and Towns program, Other Special Revenue Funds account for funding General Assistance payments to cities and towns. HOMELESSNESS BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 1422 Rep. Michael An Act to End Homelessness and Assist Students Passed to be Enacted, This bill establishes a housing voucher program for homeless students Brennan Who Are Homeless by Establishing a Housing placed on the Special under the authority of the Maine State Housing Authority and Voucher Program and Providing Site-based Appropriations Table appropriates one-time funding of $2 million in fiscal years 2023-24 and pending Passage to be 2024-25. The bill directs the Maine State Housing Authority to identify Housing Services Enacted – CARRIED 3 sites in Maine to be used for a site-based housing program and OVER appropriates one-time funding of $3.5 million in fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 to the DHHS to support the program. LD 2136 Rep A Mastraccio An Act to Provide Financial Support for Shelters Public Hearing, This bill, as amended by the Committee, provides ongoing for Unhoused Individuals Tuesday 1/23/24; Work funds for homeless shelters – allocating $10 million beginning Session 1/30/24 and next fiscal year, and $2.5 million for low-barrier shelters. The 2/20/24 – Housing Committee amendment makes the bill an emergency and adds Committee – OTP-AM a Legislative Study. unanimous of all present LD 2146 Rep. G Lookner An Act to Prohibit Certain Municipalities from House Passed to be This bill prohibits municipalities with populations exceeding Adopting Moratoria on Emergency Shelters Engrossed by 30,000 people from adopting moratoria on the establishment Committee of emergency shelters that provide temporary shelter for Amendment A on persons experiencing homelessness. 2/22; the Senate accepted the Minority Ought Not to Pass Report - sent back to the House. SERVICE BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 1975 Rep. Lydia Crafts An Act to Implement a Statewide Public Health Public hearing held This bill establishes the Substance Use, Health and Safety Fund Response to Substance Use and Amend the Laws 1/17/24; Work Session in the Department of Health and Human Services. Money Governing Scheduled Drugs 3/6/24 deposited in the fund must be used by the department to oversee, approve and provide grants and funding to agencies, organizations and service providers, including the federally recognized Indian tribes in this State and service providers that are affiliated with federally recognized Indian tribes in this State, to increase voluntary access to community care for persons who need services related to substance use, as set forth in the bill. By June 30, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Legislature must appropriate to the fund an amount sufficient to fully fund the services as set forth in the bill. The bill repeals the laws that make possession of a schedule W, X, Y or Z drug 2 Page 24  and use of drug paraphernalia a crime. It also repeals the laws governing the civil violation of use of drug paraphernalia and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. HOUSING/RENTAL ASSISTANCE BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 1074 Sen. Matthea An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Public Hearing on 4/25 - $100,000,000 bond issue to build new affordable housing for Daughtry Fund New Affordable Housing for Low-Income AFA Committee – Carried low-income households. Households Over LD 226 Rep. Rebecca An Act to Address Maine’s Affordable Housing Passed to be Enacted, This bill provides one-time funds to MaineHousing in the amount of Millett Crisis placed on the Special $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2023-24 and in fiscal year 2024-25 (only Appropriations Table these FYs) to increase affordable housing stock in the State. pending Passage to be Enacted – Carried over LD 1540 Rep. Rebecca An Act to Create the Stable Home Fund Program Emergency bill requiring This bill, which includes an emergency preamble and emergency Millett 2/3’s majority vote – clause, creates the Stable Home Fund and the Stable Home Fund failed 2/3’s majority vote Program within MaineHousing. The purpose of the program is to in the House but Passed provide persons earning up to 60% of the median income for an area in the Senate to be as defined by HUD with $300 per month in rental assistance paid Placed on the Special directly to the landlord for up to 24 months or until those persons Appropriations Table on secure housing by means of a housing voucher program administered by HUD under the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public Law 6/21. Sent back to the 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended, or secure a subsidized House for concurrence housing unit. The bill directs MaineHousing to administer the program where it failed 2/3’s except that MaineHousing may delegate the administration of the needed for final passage program and provide appropriate funding from the fund to a municipal – Carried over housing authority with respect to eligible persons located within the municipal housing authority's jurisdiction. LD 1710 Rep. Cheryl An Act to Establish the Maine Rental Assistance Public Hearing on 5/12; Sponsor Amendment amends the bill as follows: Golek and Guarantee Program and Amend the Laws Work Session 5/26; This amendment replaces the bill. This amendment requires the Regarding Tenants and the Municipal General Work Session 5/30; Maine State Housing Authority to establish and administer the Assistance Program Work Session 2/13/24 Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program. The program – Housing Committee – must include a rental assistance component to assist individuals OTP-AM 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 amendment also creates the Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program Fund under the Maine State Housing Authority to carry out the program. The bill appropriates $16,000,000 of ongoing funds annually. The amendment makes it an unfair trade practice for a landlord to refuse to participate in a federal, state or local tenant-based rental assistance program. LD 2106 Sen. M Rotundo An Act to Accelerate the Production of Housing Public Hearing This bill increases the maximum tax credit allowed for certified historic and Strengthen the Maine Historic Property 1/24/24; Work Session property rehabilitation projects. It also allows nonprofit organizations Rehabilitation Tax Credit 2/13 – Taxation that claim the historic preservation tax credit or the affordable housing tax credit to file their refund claims on a calendar year basis. The 3 Page 25  Committee – Divided changes in the bill apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1, Report 2024. GENERAL ASSISTANCE & SAFETY NET BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 1664 Sen. Marianne An Act to Increase Reimbursement Under the Passed to be Enacted, This bill increases, from 70% to 90%, the amount of state Moore General Assistance Program placed on the Special reimbursement for the costs of general assistance incurred by each Appropriations Table municipality and Indian tribe. pending Passage to be Enacted – Carried over LD 1732 Rep. Michele An Act to Expand the General Assistance Program 1/30/24 Work Session This bill changes the municipal general assistance program in the Meyer – HHS Committee – following ways: Voted OTP-AM 1. It requires overseers and designated or appointed municipal officials administering the program to complete training within 120 days of election or appointment; 2. It requires municipalities to accept applications for general assistance during regular business hours; 3. It amends provisions governing the municipality of responsibility to increase the provision of assistance from 30 days to 6 months when a municipality assists an applicant in relocating to another community and from 6 months to 12 months when an applicant is residing in a group home, shelter, rehabilitation center, nursing home or hospital or in a hotel, motel or other temporary housing; 4. It increases, from 70% to 90%, the amount of state reimbursement for the costs of general assistance incurred by each municipality and Indian tribe. It also provides that, if a municipality elects to determine need without consideration of funds from a municipally controlled trust, the State is required to reimburse the municipality for 66 2/3% of the amount in excess of expenditures; 5. It provides state reimbursement for additional program costs, including emergency general assistance, temporary housing, interpreter services and administrative expenses; and 6. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide the services necessary to support municipalities, including education and training for certain state employees the delivery of trauma-informed and culturally and linguistically appropriate services, written decisions and a database. FOOD SECURITY BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 568 Rep. Matthew An Act to Provide Funding for the State Fund to Passed to be Enacted in This bill provides ongoing General Fund appropriations of $600,000 to Pouliot Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition the House and Senate. the Fund To Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition Incentives Incentives Placed on the Special within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The Appropriations Table – bill also removes the $50,000 limit on matching contributions from the Carried over fund criteria. BILLS THAT ARE NOW DEAD Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes 4 Page 26 LD 2138 Rep C Madigan An Act to Improve Funding for Homeless Shelters This bill is now DEAD This resolve, as amended by the Sponsor, provides ongoing (instead incorporated funds for low-barrier homeless shelters – allocating $2.5 million in LD 2136 above) beginning next fiscal year. LD 1426 Rep. Kristi An Act to Secure Housing for the Most Vulnerable This bill is now DEAD This bill: Mathieson Maine Residents by Amending the Laws Governing 1. Requires an overseer, no later than the 120th day following Municipal General Assistance appointment or election, to complete training on the requirements of the municipal GA program; 2. Replaces, for determining the maximum level of assistance, the fair market value determination with setting the assistance at the equivalent amount of rental assistance provided for tenant-based housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 except that the benefit level may not be less than the difference between the applicant's income and 110% of the area's fair market rent; 3. Provides that if general assistance is being used to pay rent for an applicant whose rent is subject to a lease an overseer may redetermine the applicant's eligibility annually; 4. Increases from 70% to 90% the amount of state reimbursement for the costs of GA incurred by a municipality and each Indian tribe; 5. Directs DHHS to reimburse each municipality for 5% of the direct costs of paying benefits incurred through GA program; 6. Directs DHHS to establish and provide overseers with access to a statewide database for tracking applicants for the GA program and expenses relating to the program; and 7. Requires DHHS to provide assistance to municipalities with regard to processing applications for the GA program and directs the department to establish a hotline that is available 24 hours per day in order to provide consistent, accurate advice to overseers. It also requires the department to respond to requests for assistance within 24 hours LD 1675 Rep. Michael An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the General This bill is now DEAD This bill amends the law governing the General Assistance (GA) Brennan Assistance Program Regarding Eligibility, Housing program to provide that a municipality must calculate housing Assistance and State Reimbursement and to assistance equivalent to the amount of rental assistance provided for tenant-based housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the United Establish a Working Group States Housing Act of 1937. The bill extends the period of eligibility from one month to 6 months. Beginning July 1, 2023, when a municipality incurs net general assistance costs in excess of 0.008% of that municipality's most recent state valuation relative to the state fiscal year for which reimbursement is being issued, DHHS must reimburse the municipality for 90% of the amount in excess of these expenditures. The bill also directs the department to establish a working group to study and make recommendations related to a uniform intake process and the conversion of the GA program into a housing assistance program. 5 Page 27  REVISED: 3/6/24 131ST LEGISLATURE SECOND REGULAR SESSION BILL TRACKING The Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature begins January 3, 2024. Statutory adjournment is April 17, 2024. USEFUL LINKS ● Maine Legislature Homepage: http://legislature.maine.gov/ ● Maine Legislature YouTube Channels for Legislative Committees: https://www.youtube.com/mainestatelegislature ● Sign up to Testify and/or submit testimony here: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/ Common Acronyms: AFA = Appropriations and Financial Affairs. HHS = Health and Human Services. OTP = Ought to Pass. OTP-AM = Ought to Pass as Amended. ONTP = Ought Not to Pass. BILLS Color code: Orange font = Budget bill; Black font = Homelessness related bill; Blue font = Service related; Green font = Housing/Rental Assistance related; Purple font = General Assistance & Safety Net related bills; Pink font = Food security related bills; highlighted in yellow = passed the House and/or Senate; highlighted in green = signed by the Governor and will become Public Law; Red text = the bill is now dead. BUDGET BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 2214 Governor’s Bill An Act Making Unified Supplemental Public Hearing The Governor released her Supplemental Budget. Appropriations and Allocations for the 2/23/24 - Part GG and Part A; Part B; General Fund Bill Language. Expenditures of State Government, General Fund Part HH - AFA ● PART FF: establishes the Office of New Americans within the and Other Funds, and Changing Certain Committee Office of Policy Innovation and the Future and also establishes Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper an advisory council to the Office of New Americans Operations of State Government for the Public Hearing ● PART GG: Transfers $10,000,000 from the unappropriated Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2/26/24 - Part OO surplus of the General Fund to the Maine State Housing 2025 Authority for new housing units through the Affordable (aka Supplemental Budget) Work Session 3/7/24 Homeownership program ● PART HH: $16 million for the Emergency Housing Relief Fund (one-time funding): Emergency Housing Relief Fund Program, Other Special Revenue Funds account to supplement or establish programs addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness or facing other immediate housing needs, and support other uses that address housing emergencies in the State, such as through privately-operated low barrier shelter, winter warming shelters, legal services, and other wraparound settlement supports intended to help individuals integrate into Maine’s workforce and communities to ensure that winter warming shelters, lower barrier shelters, longer term shelters and transitional housing programs can remain open, operating, and supporting the emergency housing needs of Maine people. -Part A specifies this is one-time funding. 1 Page 28  ● Part OO: This Part requires the transfer of $5,000,000 on or before June 30, 2025 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, General Assistance – Reimbursement to Cities and Towns program, Other Special Revenue Funds account for funding General Assistance payments to cities and towns. HOMELESSNESS BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 1422 Rep. Michael An Act to End Homelessness and Assist Students Passed to be Enacted, This bill establishes a housing voucher program for homeless Brennan Who Are Homeless by Establishing a Housing placed on the Special students under the authority of the Maine State Housing Authority Voucher Program and Providing Site-based Housing Appropriations Table and appropriates one-time funding of $2 million in fiscal years Services pending Passage to be 2023-24 and 2024-25. The bill directs the Maine State Housing Enacted – CARRIED Authority to identify 3 sites in Maine to be used for a site-based OVER housing program and appropriates one-time funding of $3.5 million in fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 to the Department of Health and Human Services to support the program. LD 2136 Rep A An Act to Provide Financial Support for Shelters for Public Hearing, This bill, as amended by the Committee, provides ongoing Mastraccio Unhoused Individuals Tuesday 1/23/24; funds for homeless shelters – allocating $10 million beginning Work Session 1/30/24 next fiscal year, and $2.5 million for low-barrier shelters. The and 2/20/24 – Committee amendment makes the bill an emergency and adds Housing Committee – a Legislative Study. OTP-AM unanimous of all present LD 2146 Rep. G Lookner An Act to Prohibit Certain Municipalities from House Passed to be This bill prohibits municipalities with populations exceeding Adopting Moratoria on Emergency Shelters Engrossed by 30,000 people from adopting moratoria on the establishment Committee of emergency shelters that provide temporary shelter for Amendment A on persons experiencing homelessness. 2/22; the Senate accepted the Minority Ought Not to Pass Report - sent back to the House. SERVICE BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 540 Rep. Melanie An Act to Establish Peer Respite Centers for Adults Passed to be Enacted, This bill requires the department to establish through contracts Sachs with Mental Health Challenges in Maine placed on the Special 2 peer respite centers in the State for persons 18 years of age Appropriations Table or older. The centers must provide 24-hour intentional peer pending Passage to be support to persons in need of mental health services on a Enacted – Carried over voluntary, short-term basis. 2 Page 29 LD 599 Rep. Michael An Act to Provide Support Services for a Passed to be Enacted, This bill provides ongoing funding for support services for a Brennan Transitional Housing Program for Homeless Persons placed on the Special transitional housing program in Portland. Appropriations Table pending Passage to be Enacted – Carried over LD 1975 Rep. Lydia An Act to Implement a Statewide Public Health Public hearing held This bill establishes the Substance Use, Health and Safety Fund Crafts Response to Substance Use and Amend the Laws 1/17/24; in the Department of Health and Human Services. Money Governing Scheduled Drugs deposited in the fund must be used by the department to oversee, approve and provide grants and funding to agencies, organizations and service providers, including the federally recognized Indian tribes in this State and service providers that are affiliated with federally recognized Indian tribes in this State, to increase voluntary access to community care for persons who need services related to substance use, as set forth in the bill. By June 30, 2024, and annually thereafter, the Legislature must appropriate to the fund an amount sufficient to fully fund the services as set forth in the bill. The bill repeals the laws that make possession of a schedule W, X, Y or Z drug and use of drug paraphernalia a crime. It also repeals the laws governing the civil violation of use of drug paraphernalia and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. LD 2082 Sen. R Bennett An Act to Ensure the Financial Stability of Public Hearing This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Service and Housing Providers 1/24/24; Work to pay administrative expenses and interest charged on lines of Session 2/6/24 and credit or loans accessed by behavioral health services providers 3/6/24 – HHS and housing assistance providers when a delay in department Committee contract award, finalization or payments requires the provider to access the line of credit or loan. LD 2237 Speaker R An Act to Strengthen Public Safety, Health and Public Hearing 3/4/24 This bill includes parts A-F. Click here for the full bill text. Relevant Talbot Ross Well-being by Expanding Services and Coordinating – HHS Committee parts are below. Violence Prevention Resources This bill enacts provisions to improve mental health crisis response services and to reduce violence, including gun violence. Part A provides funding to strengthen and expand mental health crisis intervention mobile response services in order to provide services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide for the incorporation of specific types of mental health and crisis intervention experts into the existing crisis services response system. It also provides funding for ancillary services for mobile response services, including necessary travel and telephone conferences with clients. Part A also requires the Department of Health and Human Services, by January 30, 2025, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, to ensure the coordination of services under the State's E-9-1-1 system and the State's 9-8-8 mobile crisis services system. By January 30, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services must submit a status report related to the 3 Page 30  coordination of services, including suggested legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters, and the joint standing committee may submit a bill relating to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature. Part B directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish crisis receiving centers across the State to support individuals dealing with behavioral health, mental health or substance use issues. At a minimum, a crisis receiving center must be established in Androscoggin, Aroostook, Oxford, Penobscot, Washington and York counties. Crisis receiving centers must provide culturally sensitive trauma-informed care. Part B also provides funding to establish 6 crisis receiving centers. Part D provides funding to reduce waiting lists for and expand access to medication management services, including telehealth services and employee recruitment and retention incentives, provided by the Office of Behavioral Health that are similar to the services provided under Department of Health and Human Services rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 65, Behavioral Health Services, to meet the timely access requirements under the consent decree referenced in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 34-B, section 1217. 2243 Sen. T Stewart Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Public Hearing on This resolve directs the Department of Health and Human Services to Human Services to Amend MaineCare Rules 3/7/24 at 2:30pm - amend the MaineCare rules governing reimbursement for outpatient Governing Certain Types of Behavioral and Mental HHS Committee behavioral health services provided in public schools under the MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapters II and III, Section 65 and for Health Services and to Form a Stakeholder Group services provided in residential treatment facilities for persons with to Study Methods for Improving Those Services mental illness and in specialized or scattered residential treatment facilities as described in the MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter III, Section 97, Appendices E and F, respectively. The department must initiate the rule-making process immediately after the resolve goes into effect, and the rules must remain in effect until the department completes a full rate determination. Finally, the resolve requires the department to form a stakeholder group to study how to develop more sustainable models of outpatient and residential mental and behavioral health treatment services and how to increase access to those services within the State. By January 1, 2025, the stakeholder group must submit a report to the department, and by January 15, 2025, the department must submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health coverage, insurance and financial services matters a summary of the report based on the stakeholder group's findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation. The joint standing committee is authorized to report out legislation. HOUSING/RENTAL ASSISTANCE BILLS 4 Page 31  Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 1074 Sen. Matthea An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Public Hearing on 4/25 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of Daughtry Fund New Affordable Housing for Low-Income - AFA Committee – $100,000,000, will be used to build new affordable housing for Households Carried over low-income households through the construction of new structures and adaptive reuse of existing structures. LD 226 Rep. Rebecca An Act to Address Maine’s Affordable Housing Passed to be Enacted, This bill provides one-time funds to MaineHousing in the amount Millett Crisis placed on the Special of $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2023-24 and in fiscal year 2024-25 Appropriations Table (only these FYs) to increase affordable housing stock in the State. pending Passage to be Enacted – Carried over LD 337 Rep. Cheryl An Act to Amend the Regulations of Manufactured Public Hearing, Sponsor Amendment replaces the entire concept draft bill: Golek Housing to Increase Affordable Housing Tuesday 1/23/24; This amendment aims to increase affordable housing by allowing Work Session 1/30/24 manufactured housing (modular and “newer mobile homes” as – Housing Committee defined) to be located on lots where single family homes are voted OTP-AM allowed. This includes only 1)“newer mobile homes” built after 1976 that are constructed in compliance with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development standards, and 2) modular homes that the manufacturer certifies are constructed in compliance with Title 10, chapter 951, and rules adopted under that chapter. LD 853 Rep. Benjamin RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Public Hearing, This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to Collings Constitution of Maine to Establish a Right to Tuesday 1/23/24; declare that all individuals have a natural, inherent and unalienable Housing Work Session 1/30/24 right to housing. & 2/6/24 – Housing Committee – Divided Constitutional referendum - the municipal officers of this State Report shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, at a statewide election held in the month of November following the passage of this resolution, to vote upon the ratification of the amendment proposed in this resolution by voting upon the following question: "Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to declare that all individuals have a natural, inherent and unalienable right to housing?" LD 1294 Rep. Traci Gere An Act to Implement Several Recommendations of House Passed to be This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill the Commission to Increase Housing Opportunities Engrossed as would implement certain recommendations of the Commission To in Maine by Studying Land Use Regulations and Amended by Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Land Use Short-term Rentals Committee Regulations and Short-term Rentals. Amendment A on 2/28/24; Senate Read once on 2/29/24 and assigned to next Legislative Day. LD 1298 Rep. Charles An Act to Allow a Local Option Sales Tax on Public Hearing 2/13; This bill allows a municipality to impose a local option sales tax of Skold Short-term Lodging to Fund Affordable Housing Work Session 2/13/24 1% on short-term lodging that is subject to the state sales and use 5 Page 32  and 2/27/24 – tax if approved by referendum of the voters in that municipality. Taxation Committee - The revenue from the local option sales tax must be distributed to Divided Report the municipality imposing the local option sales tax. The distributed revenue must be used in municipal programs that support affordable housing development in that municipality, including rental assistance for lower income households or moderate-income households. Revenue received by a municipality may not be used to reduce or eliminate funding otherwise due the municipality under other provisions of law. The local option sales tax may not take effect before July 1, 2024. LD 1490 Rep. Chris An Act to Reduce Rental Housing Costs by Work Session held This bill provides that at or prior to the commencement of a Kessler Eliminating Additional Fees at or Prior to the 1/16/24 – Judiciary tenancy, a landlord, the landlord's agent or a real estate broker Commencement of Tenancy Committee – Divided may not require a tenant or prospective tenant to pay an amount Report in excess of the rent for the first full month of occupancy, a security deposit and the purchase and installation cost for a key and lock. LD 1493 Rep. Raegan An Act to Increase Affordable Housing by Passed to be Enacted, This bill authorizes the creation of Pine Tree Housing Zones to LaRochelle Expanding Tax Increment Financing placed on the Special allow retained value resulting from a tax increment financing Appropriations Table district in a municipality to be used anywhere in the municipality pending Passage to be for the purposes of the purchase, rehabilitation or establishment Enacted – Carried over of affordable and workforce housing in the municipality. The bill provides for a sales tax exemption for the associated purchasing of goods and services and electricity for a qualified project in a Pine Tree Housing Zone. LD 1505 Rep. Kristen An Act to Amend the Maine Cooperative Signed by the This bill amends the Maine Cooperative Affordable Housing Cloutier Affordable Housing Ownership Act Governor - will Ownership Act to include group equity cooperatives. It also become Public Law provides that a housing assistance program must be made reasonably available to residents of housing cooperatives. LD 1540 Rep. Rebecca An Act to Create the Stable Home Fund Program Emergency bill This bill, which includes an emergency preamble and emergency Millett requiring 2/3’s clause, creates the Stable Home Fund and the Stable Home Fund majority vote – failed Program within MaineHousing. The purpose of the program is to 2/3’s majority vote in provide persons earning up to 60% of the median income for an the House but Passed area as defined by HUD with $300 per month in rental assistance in the Senate to be paid directly to the landlord for up to 24 months or until those Placed on the Special persons secure housing by means of a housing voucher program administered by HUD under the United States Housing Act of 1937, Appropriations Table Public Law 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended, or secure a on 6/21. Sent back to subsidized housing unit. The bill directs MaineHousing to the House for administer the program except that MaineHousing may delegate concurrence where it the administration of the program and provide appropriate funding failed 2/3’s needed for from the fund to a municipal housing authority with respect to final passage – Carried eligible persons located within the municipal housing authority's over jurisdiction. LD 1672 Rep. Traci Gere An Act to Establish an Affordable Housing Public Hearing held This bill establishes the Affordable Housing Development Review Permitting Process 1/5/24; Work Session Board under the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and 1/26/24 and 2/6/24 – Forestry's Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use Planning 6 Page 33  Housing Committee – in order to issue permits for the development of affordable Voted ONTP housing and workforce housing. LD 1673 Rep. Traci Gere An Act to Encourage Affordable Housing and Public Hearing on As Amended, this bill would establish a resolve to create a working Mixed-use Development by Establishing a Thriving 5/12; Work Session group to design a cross-agency plan. The Working Group would Corridors Program 1/12/24; Work consists of the Commissioners of: DOT, EPA, DECD, ACF, Housing, Session 1/26/24 – GOPIF. Housing Committee – Unanimous OTP-AM LD 1710 Rep. Cheryl An Act to Establish the Maine Rental Assistance Public Hearing on Sponsor Amendment amends the bill as follows: Golek and Guarantee Program and Amend the Laws 5/12; Work Session This amendment replaces the bill. This amendment requires the Regarding Tenants and the Municipal General 5/26; Work Session Maine State Housing Authority to establish and administer the Assistance Program 5/30; Work Session Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program. The program 2/13/24 – Housing must include a rental assistance component to assist individuals Committee – OTP-AM 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 amendment also creates the Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program Fund under the Maine State Housing Authority to carry out the program. The bill appropriates $16,000,000 of ongoing funds annually. The amendment makes it an unfair trade practice for a landlord to refuse to participate in a federal, state or local tenant-based rental assistance program. LD 1721 Sen. Jill Duson An Act to Create Transitional Housing Communities Passed to be Enacted This bill creates the Transitional Housing Community Construction for Homeless Populations in the State in the House on Program Fund under MaineHousing to create transitional housing 2/27/24 and the communities, which are clusters of transitional housing dwelling Senate on 2/28. This units for homeless individuals and families to provide stability and bill now goes to the to allow the individuals and families to transition to permanent Governor for housing. The bill directs that transitional housing communities be signature. created throughout the State designed to cover all 16 counties. The bill directs DHHS, 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 MaineHousing to create transitional housing communities and funding to the department to provide independent housing services to residents of transitional housing. LD 1867 Rep. Grayson An Act to Establish the Community Housing and Passed to be Enacted This bill establishes the Community Housing and Rural Lookner Rural Development Authority in the House on Development Authority within the Maine Redevelopment Land 2/27/24; on 2/28 Bank Authority to develop, own, lease and maintain mixed-income, Senate Placed on the permanently affordable public residential housing in this State. Special Appropriations Table pending Passage to be Enacted. 7 Page 34 LD 2106 Sen. M Rotundo An Act to Accelerate the Production of Housing and Public Hearing This bill increases the maximum tax credit allowed for certified historic Strengthen the Maine Historic Property 1/24/24; Work property rehabilitation projects. It also allows nonprofit organizations Rehabilitation Tax Credit Session 2/13 – that claim the historic preservation tax credit or the affordable housing tax credit to file their refund claims on a calendar year basis. The Taxation Committee – changes in the bill apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1, Divided Report 2024. LD 2158 Rep. C Golek An Act to Improve the Housing Voucher System Public Hearing This bill does the following regarding housing vouchers. 1/30/24; Work 1. It requires MaineHousing to collect data regarding and to submit Session 2/2/24 and applications to HUD for waivers that: A. Allow MaineHousing to enter into contracts at a higher rate than 2/20/24 – Housing the fair market rental rate as established by HUD. The waiver may not Committee - OTP-AM result in fewer housing vouchers being issued than before the waiver was obtained; B. Allow MaineHousing or a municipal housing authority to establish reasonable time limits for the use of housing vouchers issued by the MaineHousing or the municipal housing authority; and C. Allow MaineHousing or a municipal housing authority to issue housing vouchers that may be used upon issuance anywhere within the State. 2. Contingent upon approval of a waiver, it codifies under the powers and duties of MaineHousing the power authorized by each waiver. 3. It requires MaineHousing to submit: A. Suggested legislation that requires all housing authorities or public corporations created or authorized pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 201 to conform their housing voucher programs to the housing voucher program administered by MaineHousing; and B. A report detailing its efforts to obtain the 3 waivers from HUD. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters is authorized to report out to the 132nd Legislature in 2025 legislation related to the report and suggested legislation submitted by MaineHousing. LD 2169 Sen. M An Act to Create Workforce Housing to Promote Public Hearing 2/6/24; This bill establishes the Workforce Housing Development Loan Fund in Daughtry Economic Development in Maine Work Session 2/13/24, the Department of Economic and Community Development to provide 2/27/24, and 3/5/24 – loans to support the development of affordable workforce housing. The department must solicit applications for loans from the fund Housing Committee through a competitive application process. Loans may be awarded to community banks at an interest rate of 0% to provide funding to housing developers to develop housing for employees who earn 60% to 120% of the area median income as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. LD 2209 Committee Bill An Act to Increase the Cap on Bonds Issued by the Public Hearing and This committee bill is presented by the Joint Select Committee on Maine State Housing Authority to Reflect Current Work Session on Housing pursuant to Joint Order 2023, H.P. 3, section 3. The bill Housing Production Needs in the State 2/20/24 – Housing increases the cap on mortgage purchase bonds authorized to be issued by the Maine State Housing Authority to align with current Committee - OTP-AM housing production needs in the State. 8 Page 35  GENERAL ASSISTANCE & SAFETY NET BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 1664 Sen. Marianne An Act to Increase Reimbursement Under the Passed to be Enacted, This bill increases, from 70% to 90%, the amount of state Moore General Assistance Program placed on the Special reimbursement for the costs of general assistance incurred by each Appropriations Table municipality and Indian tribe. pending Passage to be Enacted – Carried over LD 1732 Rep. Michele An Act to Expand the General Assistance Program 1/30/24 Work Session This bill changes the municipal general assistance program in the Meyer – HHS Committee – following ways: Voted OTP-AM 1. It requires overseers and designated or appointed municipal officials administering the program to complete training within 120 days of election or appointment; 2. It requires municipalities to accept applications for general assistance during regular business hours; 3. It amends provisions governing the municipality of responsibility to increase the provision of assistance from 30 days to 6 months when a municipality assists an applicant in relocating to another community and from 6 months to 12 months when an applicant is residing in a group home, shelter, rehabilitation center, nursing home or hospital or in a hotel, motel or other temporary housing; 4. It increases, from 70% to 90%, the amount of state reimbursement for the costs of general assistance incurred by each municipality and Indian tribe. It also provides that, if a municipality elects to determine need without consideration of funds from a municipally controlled trust, the State is required to reimburse the municipality for 66 2/3% of the amount in excess of expenditures; 5. It provides state reimbursement for additional program costs, including emergency general assistance, temporary housing, interpreter services and administrative expenses; and 6. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide the services necessary to support municipalities, including education and training for certain state employees the delivery of trauma-informed and culturally and linguistically appropriate services, written decisions and a database. FOOD SECURITY BILLS Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 568 Rep. Matthew An Act to Provide Funding for the State Fund to Passed to be Enacted in This bill provides ongoing General Fund appropriations of $600,000 Pouliot Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition the House and Senate. to the Fund To Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition Incentives Placed on the Special Incentives within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Appropriations Table – Forestry. The bill also removes the $50,000 limit on matching Carried over contributions from the fund criteria. 9 Page 36 LD 1584 Rep. Holly Stover An Act to Provide Funding for the Supplemental Passed to be Enacted in Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Federal Nutrition Assistance Program to Temporarily Restore the House and Senate. Government provided emergency benefit allotments under the Benefits Being Reduced by the Federal Government Placed on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. These Appropriations Table – emergency benefit allotments are scheduled to expire March 1, 2023. Carried over This bill extends for 6 months, but on a decreasing basis, the amount of benefits available under SNAP by providing General Fund funds to provide the following level of benefits: 1. In March 2023, 100% of the federal emergency benefit allotment; 2. In April 2023, 75% of the federal emergency benefit allotment; 3. In May 2023, 50% of the federal emergency benefit allotment; and 4. From June through August 2023, 25% of the federal emergency benefit allotment. Beginning in September 2023, an additional amount is not provided. BILLS THE ARE NOW DEAD Bill # Sponsor Title Status & Committee Notes LD 2138 Rep C Madigan An Act to Improve Funding for Homeless Shelters This bill is now DEAD This resolve, as amended by the Sponsor, provides ongoing (instead incorporated funds for low-barrier homeless shelters – allocating $2.5 million in LD 2136 above) beginning next fiscal year. LD 328 Sen. Trey An Act to Improve Mental Health in Maine This bill is now DEAD This bill brings MaineCare regulations into alignment with Stewart Dartmouth Assertive Community Treatment Scale fidelity items, ensuring high-quality, evidence based Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services for Maine residents with psychotic disorders and high needs. LD 1633 Sen. Pinny An Act to Establish a Community-based Reentry This bill is now DEAD This bill creates a community-based reentry program Beebe-Center Program in All Department of Corrections Facilities administered by a community based organization at each correctional facility operated by the Department of Corrections. The program is a peer-supported program that provides individualized reentry plans to incarcerated individuals starting from 2 years prior to an individual's release, involving multiple meetings to determine the individual's education, job training, substance use disorder treatment, housing and other needs subsequent to release and follow-up meetings after release to support the individual's reentry into the community and to reduce or prevent recidivism. This bill also creates the Peer Reentry Review Board, which oversees, advises, studies data and makes recommendations to the community-based reentry program and reports to the Commissioner of Corrections and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice and public safety matters. LD 314 Sen. Craig An Act to Establish the Permanent Commission on This Bill is now DEAD This bill would establish the Permanent Commission on the Status Hickman the Status of Housing in Maine of Housing in Maine. The commission would be a quasi-independent agency funded through the Department of Economic and Community Development. Members of the 10 Page 37  commission would include housing advocates and organizations, policy makers, housing developers, housing experts, landlords and tenants. The commission would identify the hurdles to 1developing more housing units and recommend solutions to each branch of government. LD 371 Sen. Jeffrey An Act to Address Certain Local Zoning Ordinances This bill is now DEAD This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill Timberlake proposes to address certain local zoning ordinances. LD 387 Rep. Mark Blier An Act to Promote Affordable Housing by Providing This Bill is now DEAD This bill provides an income tax deduction for income received by a a Tax Exemption for Housing Choice Vouchers landlord as tenant based housing assistance payments in the form of Section 8 housing choice vouchers administered by the Maine State Housing Authority. LD 721 Sen. Matthea An Act to Preserve Historic Buildings and Promote This Bill is now DEAD This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill Daughtry Affordable Housing would enact provisions of law to preserve historic buildings and promote affordable housing. LD 1864 Rep. James An Act to Increase Maine's Housing Supply by This Bill is now DEAD This bill provides restrictions on municipal ordinance requirements Boyle Prohibiting Certain Zoning Requirements in Areas related to minimum lot size in areas where water and sewer Where Public Sewer and Water Infrastructure Are infrastructure are available and in areas where water and sewer Available and in Designated Growth Areas infrastructure are not available but that are within designated growth areas. For a housing development served by a public, special district or other centrally managed water system and a public, special district or other comparable sewer system and that is located in an area in which dwelling units are allowed, a municipality must allow a dwelling unit on a lot with a minimum size of 5,000 square feet. For a housing development located in a designated growth area that is not served by a public, special district or other centrally managed water system and a public, special district or other comparable sewer system, that complies with minimum lot size requirements in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, chapter 423-A and that is located in an area in which dwelling units are allowed, a municipality must allow a dwelling unit on a lot with a minimum size of 20,000 square feet. The bill also provides limits to ordinance provisions relating to lot coverage, road frontage and setback requirements. LD 1904 Speaker Rachel An Act to Enact the Fair Chance Housing Act This Bill is now DEAD This bill establishes the Maine Fair Chance Housing Act, the purpose of Talbot Ross which is to ensure that a person is not denied housing based solely on the existence of a history of criminal convictions. This bill prohibits a housing provider from considering an applicant's criminal history until after the housing provider determines that the applicant meets all other qualifications for tenancy. A person who is aggrieved by a violation of the Maine Fair Chance Housing Act by a housing provider may file a grievance with the Maine Human Rights Commission and, if it is a violation by a private housing provider, may bring a civil action in court. 11 Page 38 LD 1426 Rep. Kristi An Act to Secure Housing for the Most Vulnerable This bill is now DEAD This bill: Mathieson Maine Residents by Amending the Laws Governing 1. Requires an overseer, no later than the 120th day following Municipal General Assistance appointment or election, to complete training on the requirements of the municipal general assistance program; 2. Replaces, for determining the maximum level of assistance, the fair market value determination with setting the assistance at the equivalent amount of rental assistance provided for tenant-based housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 except that the benefit level may not be less than the difference between the applicant's income and 110% of the area's fair market rent; 3. Provides that if general assistance is being used to pay rent for an applicant whose rent is subject to a lease an overseer may redetermine the applicant's eligibility annually; 4. Increases from 70% to 90% the amount of state reimbursement for the costs of general assistance incurred by a municipality and each Indian tribe; 5. Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse each municipality for 5% of the direct costs of paying benefits incurred through its general assistance program; 6. Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish and provide overseers with access to a statewide database for tracking applicants for the general assistance program and expenses relating to the program; and 7. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide assistance to municipalities with regard to processing applications for the general assistance program and directs the department to establish a hotline that is available 24 hours per day in order to provide consistent, accurate advice to overseers. It also requires the department to respond to requests for assistance within 24 hours LD 1675 Rep. Michael An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the General This bill is now DEAD This bill amends the law governing the General Assistance (GA) Brennan Assistance Program Regarding Eligibility, Housing program to provide that a municipality must calculate housing Assistance and State Reimbursement and to assistance equivalent to the amount of rental assistance provided Establish a Working Group for tenant-based housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937. The bill extends the period of eligibility from one month to 6 months. Beginning July 1, 2023, when a municipality incurs net general assistance costs in excess of 0.008% of that municipality's most recent state valuation relative to the state fiscal year for which reimbursement is being issued, DHHS must reimburse the municipality for 90% of the amount in excess of these expenditures. The bill also directs the department to establish a working group to study and make recommendations related to a uniform intake process and the conversion of the GA program into a housing assistance program. 12 Page 39 LD 1940 Sen. Craig An Act to Promote Consistent Policies within Growth This Bill is now DEAD This bill amends the laws governing planning and land use regulation Hickman Management Programs in Order to Increase Food to encourage: Security and Economic Resiliency in Local 1. Municipalities to ensure that the language and requirements in Communities charters, policies, codes, regulations, bylaws and fees align with each other and meet the overall intent of the comprehensive plan approved by the legislative body; 2. Municipalities to develop policies that assess community needs and environmental, food security and economic resiliency effects of municipal regulations, lessen the effect of excessive parking requirements for buildings in downtowns and on main streets and provide for alternative approaches for compliance relating to the reuse of upper floors of buildings in downtowns and on main streets; and 3. In the development of affordable housing, municipalities and multimunicipal regions to establish policies that assess food security and economic resiliency effects of municipal regulations. 13 Page 40