Sen. Talbot Ross bill to stabilize emergency shelter funding receives initial support from the Senate

AUGUSTA – On Wednesday, May 21, the Maine Senate voted unanimously in an initial vote to support legislation from Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, that would provide a critical and sustained funding boost to Maine’s emergency homeless shelters. LD 698, “An Act to Sustain Emergency Homeless Shelters in Maine,” proposes $5 million in ongoing annual funding to help shelters stay open, meet rising costs and continue providing life-saving services across the state.

“Maine’s emergency shelters are doing heroic work in the face of rising need and inadequate resources,” said Sen. Talbot Ross. “This initial Senate vote sends a clear message that we must do more to support our neighbors in crisis. LD 698 is not a cure-all, but it is a meaningful step toward building a more stable and humane response to homelessness.”

Maine’s state funding for emergency shelter operations has remained flat at $2.5 million since 2016, even as demand and costs have surged. A 2024 MaineHousing study found that the average cost to operate a single shelter bed is $102 per night. The current state subsidy covers just $7.16 of that cost, forcing shelters to rely on unstable outside funding. By providing $5 million each year to the Shelter Operating Subsidy administered by MaineHousing, LD 698 would increase the subsidy to $19 per bed night, a modest but meaningful improvement.

Without this funding, shelter providers risk reducing services or closing their doors, leaving more people unsheltered and increasing pressure on emergency rooms, law enforcement and other public systems.

LD 698 now faces additional votes in the House and Senate.

Sen. Talbot Ross is serving her first term in the Maine Senate, representing part of her hometown of Portland and Peaks Island. She serves as the Senate Chair of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee and sits on the Judiciary Committee.