Housing Committee unanimously endorses Sen. Daughtry bill to help increase affordable housing to support Maine’s workforce

AUGUSTA — On Tuesday, the Legislature’s Housing Committee voted unanimously in favor of a bill from Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to help expand the availability of affordable housing options in Maine. The committee passed an amended version on LD 2169, “An Act to Support the Development of Workforce Housing to Promote Economic Development in Maine.”

“Housing for middle-income families, or workforce housing, is the ‘missing middle’ of our efforts to help Mainers find and maintain stable housing. This kind of investment is vital not just for our workforce, but for the businesses that employ us and support Maine’s economy,” said Sen. Daughtry. “I want to thank the members of the Housing Committee for their diligent work on this bill, and their support of this issue overall.”

LD 2169 aims to increase the development and availability of housing that’s affordable for middle-income Mainers. As amended, the bill would direct the Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) to review and report back to the Legislature on the housing needs of those who make 80% to 150% of the area median income. GOPIF’s report would include recommendations for improving availability of rental units and supporting homeownership for this middle-income population, and would consider the possibility of using private-public partnerships to achieve these goals.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Maine’s median income ranges from $53,060 to $85,260 for a single-person household, and from $75,800 to $121,800 for a household of four, depending on the area.

“LD 2169 is targeted at workers, the missing middle in our efforts to develop more affordable housing,” said Megan Hannan, Executive Director of the Maine Community Action Partnership. “These are the folks who are working full time, even if that means two or more jobs; they earn too much to qualify for many of our State and Federal support programs, but too little to make ends meet easily.”

The bill now faces votes in the Senate and House.