Earlier this month, people in our community and throughout Maine hunkered down for a weekend of record-breaking cold. Like many folks, my wife and I covered drafty windows, opened our sink cabinet doors and cranked up the heat, all while praying that we would not lose power. The cold was bone-chilling, while the weather app on my phone seemingly kept taunting us by saying that the wind was making it feel colder. No kidding!
Fortunately, our community came together to ensure that our neighbors were taken care of. The City of Biddeford and Seeds of Hope opened a warming center at the J. Richard Martin Community Center — a vital lifeline for those experiencing homelessness or whose homes were damaged due to electricity loss or burst pipes.
Still, the recent cold snap highlighted the urgent need for safe, affordable housing for every Mainer. We are currently in the midst of a housing crisis that is impacting folks from all walks of life: people who can’t find stable housing, workers who can’t find an apartment near their jobs, young families that are being priced out of purchasing their first home, older Mainers on fixed incomes who cannot afford rising rents and so many more.
This crisis is also affecting employers. For example, new teachers looking to work in Biddeford schools are having difficulty finding an affordable place to live within a reasonable commuting distance. At last week’s State of the Budget address, Governor Janet Mills also cited challenges facing some of our state’s largest employers like Bath Iron Works, which has lost potential workers despite offering strong compensation packages because housing costs were still out of reach.
Significant statewide action will be required to help find solutions to solve this significant crisis.
First, we need to build more housing of all types, as there is currently not enough housing stock available to meet demand. In some instances, we need to reform zoning regulations in order to enable new housing construction in a thoughtful manner. My predecessor representing this district, House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, demonstrated significant leadership on this issue by guiding the passage of a bill last year to allow more multi-unit housing, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and more. This session, I have submitted a bill that would help the state implement that law and strengthen it in some key ways. Stay tuned.
We also need direct state investment in housing construction. More than 25,000 Mainers are on a waitlist for affordable housing. Currently, we are building 250 affordable units per year, when we need 1,000 units per year to meet demand. Whether we do it through bonding, direct appropriation, or some other method, it needs to get done.
We also need to increase support for people experiencing homelessness. The most powerful statement I have ever heard about how to help people who are unhoused is straightforward: people experiencing homelessness need a home. Throughout the country, we have seen the success of “Housing First” programs, which prioritize safe and secure housing for individuals before working with them to provide other necessary support, whether it is behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment or other concerns. A program like this exists for veterans, and it is already making substantial progress in reducing homelessness amongst those who have served our country. Governor Mills has already announced support for legislation creating a Housing First initiative in Maine. I look forward to voting for it.
We have a lot of work to do. However, I know that by collaborating with elected officials and leaders throughout our communities, both in government and otherwise, we can get it done.
I hope you will follow our progress on this issue and more as we continue our work. Through the Legislature’s website, members of the public can view public hearing schedules, sign up to testify live before the committee and access a livestream of the committee hearings online.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns you have. My email address is marc.malon@legislature.maine.gov. My office can be reached at 207-287-1430.
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