Maine lawmakers have approved a resolution establishing a Commission to study the extent to which housing voucher recipients in the state are discriminated against on account of the fact they receive income-based assistance.
The Commission must complete a report by November 6, 2024 detailing their findings and recommendations to the Legislature, including any suggested legislation.
Although this measure initially began as a sweeping proposal to change the Maine Human Rights Act and create a new rental assistance program, it was later amended to be a resolution creating a study commission.
Despite the fact that the Housing Committee’s recommendation to the Legislature was split along partisan lines — with all Democrats supporting the majority Ought to Pass As Amended report and all Republicans signing onto the Ought Not to Pass report — both chambers ultimately passed the resolution without a roll call vote.
LD 1710 — presented by Rep. Cheryl A. Golek (D-Harpswell) — originally started as an extensive piece of legislation amending the Maine Human Rights Act and establishing a $75 million rental assistance program.
As first presented, this bill would have amended the Maine Human Rights Act to prohibit “discrimination against a tenant because the tenant participates in a federal, state or local tenant-based rental assistance program.”
It also would have required landlords responsible for more than ten units to reserve at least 10 percent of their units for affordable housing.
The Maine Rental Assistance Program — which would have been established and administered by the Maine State Housing Authority — would have received a recurring $75.5 million in state funding annually.
The original version of this bill also would have made a number of changes to the municipal general assistance program, including “redefining maximum levels of assistance to better reflect the cost of basic necessities.”
In the case of emergencies, municipalities would be required to exceed the maximum levels of assistance and would be reimbursed by the state for “100% of additional expenditures.”
Municipalities would also be required to provide all applicants with “trauma-informed,” “culturally,” and “linguistically appropriate services.”
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) would have been required under this law to “develop a comprehensive application form for applicants of general assistance, emergency assistance and rental assistance.”
This bill was also originally designed to amend real estate transfer tax provisions by “creating a graduated tax based upon the sales price of the real estate” and would have dedicated the proceeds of this tax to “assist in funding” the Maine Rental Assistance and Guarantee Program.
It also would have prohibited entities from reporting to credit bureaus any unpaid rent that is deemed to have been “unaffordable.”
Click Here to Read the Original Draft of LD 1710
After the Housing Committee accepted public comment on the original draft of the bill, it was replaced with an amendment seeking instead to establish the Commission to Improve Tenant-Landlord Relationships and Maximize the Use of Housing Vouchers.
It was this version of the legislation that was ultimately adopted by lawmakers in both chambers.
The Commission created by this resolution is to be comprised of 14 members, including two state Senators and three state Representatives.
Also to be appointed to the Commission are a representative of an organization advocating for “justice issues,” a member of an organization representing landlords’ interests, and a representative of an organization providing “housing navigation services to renters using a rental assistance program.”
The Commission is also set to include someone with “experience assisting individuals with accessing rental assistance,” a person with “expertise in legal issues affecting tenants with low incomes,” a landlord who rents to tenants that rely on rental assistance, two renters who have experience with rental assistance, and one person who “resides in income-restricted housing.”
The Commission is directed in this resolution to “consider the extent to which recipients of housing vouchers are subject to discrimination based on the fact they are recipients of housing assistance and the adequacy of current law to deter or prevent discrimination against renters who use income-based assistance programs.”
The Commission is also instructed to consider establishing “a process for investigating and correcting discrimination based on income source,” as well as a “mediation process between tenants and landlords to support successful tenancy.”
It will also be the Commission’s responsibility to take stock of the “incentives that currently exist to encourage landlords” to rent to those relying on assistance and identify the reasons why landlords are “unwilling or reluctant” to enter into a lease with those utilizing rental assistance.
To do this, the Commission is instructed to gather input from landlords who do not rent to those relying on housing vouchers or other forms of rental assistance, as well as those who do and “wish to share [their] positive experiences.”
The Commission must also review what other states have done to reducing “housing and income discrimination based on source of income” and consider what Maine is currently during to “provide outreach and educational information” to landlords regarding rental assistance programs.
A report containing their findings and recommendations, complete with any proposed legislation, must be shared with the Legislature by November 6, 2024.
Click Here to Read LD 1710 As Amended
The Housing Committee’s recommendations to the Legislature were split along partisan lines, with all the Democrat members voting in support of the study and all Republicans voting in opposition.
Supporting the amended version of LD 1710 were Rep. Traci Gere (D-Kennebunkport), Sen. Teresa Pierce (D-Cumberland), Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook ), Rep. Cheryl A. Golek (D-Harpswell), Rep. Grayson B. Lookner (D-Portland), Rep. Ambureen Rana (D-Bangor), and Sen. Eloise Vitelli (D-Sagadahoc).
Opposing the passage of LD 1710 were Rep. Mark John Blier (R-Buxton), Rep. Richard H. Campbell (R-Orrington), Rep. Joshua Morris (R-Turner), and Sen. Matt Pouliot (R-Kennebec).
Both chambers of the Legislature voted to adopt LD 1710 as amended by the Committee without a roll call vote.
The resolution has since been placed on the special study table pending final passage, as is done for all legislation seeking to establish a study commission.
This places the resolution before the Legislative Council, which is tasked with reviewing all study bills approved by lawmakers in order to prioritize staff and budgetary allocations.
smh
Spend, spend, spend.
How about a study that talks about how subsidized housing causes market rents to go up?
How about places and companies that come right out and say they’re going to discriminate against whites and Americans?
What the Dems want is a study that says we need more illegals who aren’t white and more taxpayer funded housing.
They are making poverty Maine’s largest industry.
Landlords have a right to screen potential tenants for risks. That includes potential property damage, civil complaints and criminal activity. All of these risks can affect the cost of renting to bad tenants. Prospective tenants need to demonstrate they will comply with the expected standards of the contract. I will predict that the woke commission won’t even consider this. They look at everything with their race glasses on. Also, people who need income assistance are probably not good at managing their money. If this study actually measures the renter’s financial responsibilities and character then go for it.
There is an old saying…..beggars can’t be choosers. Maine Dems think otherwise because they get more votes from beggars nowadays (thanks to Bidenomics) than from capitalists.
I here that Harpswell and Kennebunkport are looking for renters now that the lobester men are no longer fishing due to Gov. regulations.