If you’re able to go to a room with a closed door when you need to cry, turn the heat up a little when you’re cold, head to the fridge for a snack when you’re hungry or to the medicine cabinet when you’re feeling sick; take a moment to consider how much those small acts impact your daily life. How they help keep you balanced. And how difficult it would be if every single one of them went away at once.
From Maine Equal Justice:
Maine has seen a pandemic, skyrocketing rents, the end of pandemic rental assistance, and a 25% rise in evictions. We urgently need to pass policies to help more families afford to stay in their homes and communities and protect renters from discrimination.
LD 1710 would target rent relief to the families who are at the greatest risk for housing instability, putting more homes in reach for Mainers in every part of our state and helping to end the Section 8 waitlist. It would also increase legal protections for renters facing voucher discrimination and modernize consumer debt protections for renters who have faced extremely high costs.
The HOME Act would make it possible for eligible renters to apply for rent relief once per year to create more stable support and shift these needs away from the General Assistance program, which was not designed to provide for ongoing housing needs. It would also make support more accessible statewide, so families in cities and towns everywhere could count on finding more safe, affordable homes.
Show your support for LD1710, a bill that is currently being reviewed in the 131st Legislature by the Joint Select Committee on Housing. Take a minute to send an email to every committee member and let them know we need to prevent more Mainers from being priced out of their home and from falling into homelessness.
Traci Gere, State Representative (D-Kennebunkport)
Traci.Gere@legislature.maine.gov
Holly B. Stover, State Representative (D-Boothbay)
Holly.Stover@legislature.maine.gov
Grayson B. Lookner, State Representative (D-Portland)
Grayson.Lookner@legislature.maine.gov
Drew Gattine, State Representative (D-Westbrook)
Andrew.Gattine@legislature.maine.gov
Ambureen Rana, State Representative (D-Bangor)
Ambureen.Rana@legislature.maine.gov
Cheryl A. Golek, State Representative (D-Harpswell)
Cheryl.Golek@legislature.maine.gov
Richard T. Bradstreet (Dick), State Representative (R-Vassalboro)
Dick.Bradstreet@legislature.maine.gov
Joshua Morris, State Representative (R-Turner)
Joshua.Morris@legislature.maine.gov
Richard H. Campbell (Dick), State Representative (R-Orrington)
Richard.Campbell@legislature.maine.gov
Mark John Blier, State Representative (R-Buxton)
This study from the National Health Care for the Homeless Council details just how harmful encampment sweeps are for unhoused people and for their communities. Penalizing people without offering any housing alternatives is cruel and unproductive. We ALL deserve better.
Find the representative for your town or district here!
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS
Donna.Bailey@legislature.maine.gov
Joe.Baldacci@legislature.maine.gov
anne.beebe-center@legislature.maine.gov
Stacy.Brenner@legislature.maine.gov
Anne.Carney@legislature.maine.gov
Ben.Chipman@legislature.maine.gov
Chip.Curry@legislature.maine.gov
Mattie.Daughtry@legislature.maine.gov
jill.duson@legislature.maine.gov
Nicole.Grohoski@legislature.maine.gov
Craig.Hickman@legislature.maine.gov
henry.ingwersen@legislature.maine.gov
Troy.Jackson@legislature.maine.gov
david.lafountain@legislature.maine.gov
Mark.Lawrence@legislature.maine.gov
timothy.nangle@legislature.maine.gov
teresa.pierce@legislature.maine.gov
Joe.Rafferty@legislature.maine.gov
cameron.reny@legislature.maine.gov
margaret.rotundo@legislature.maine.gov
mike.tipping@legislature.maine.gov
Eloise.Vitelli@legislature.maine.gov
REPUBLICAN SENATORS
Richard.Bennett@legislature.maine.gov
Russell.Black@legislature.maine.gov
Eric.Brakey@legislature.maine.gov
Matthew.Harrington@legislature.maine.gov
Lisa.Keim@legislature.maine.gov
James.Libby@legislature.maine.gov
Marianne.Moore@legislature.maine.gov
Trey.Stewart@Legislature.maine.gov
Brad.Farrin@legislature.maine.gov
Stacey.Guerin@legislature.maine.gov
Peter.Lyford@legislature.maine.gov
Matt.Pouliot@legislature.maine.gov
Jeffrey.Timberlake@legislature.maine.gov
Reach out to your elected officials and encourage them to prioritize a housing first approach as a solution to ending homelessness in Maine. Click the link, enter your address & navigate to the “elected officials” tab. Housing is a human right.
The Housing First approach recognizes that issues that contribute to homelessness such as health, employment and substance use can't be addressed if a person is without shelter. It views housing as the foundation for life improvement and enables access to permanent housing without prerequisites or conditions beyond those of a typical renter. Supportive services are offered to support people with housing stability and individual well-being, but participation is not required as services have been found to be more effective when a person chooses to engage. Providing housing generally results in cost savings for communities because housed people are less likely to use emergency services. One study found an average cost savings on emergency services of $31,545 per person housed in a Housing First program over the course of two years. Another study showed that a Housing First program could cost up to $23,000 less per consumer per year than a shelter program. Let's make lasting solutions that benefit our community as a whole. Encourage your elected officials to prioritize Housing First projects.