A Portland based LGBT group is planning to build affordable, taxpayer funded housing units for LGBT people, in a project which potentially violate laws banning housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
“The unforgiving rental market has forced many people, especially older adults, to move out of the city, or worse, experience housing insecurity and homelessness. Affordable, centralized housing has been a longstanding need for LGBTQ+ seniors in Maine and current conditions have amplified that need astronomically,” said Portland’s Equality Community Center (ECC).
The building is scheduled to finish construction in Spring 2026 and will have 54 “affordable” units.
Units will be open to LGBT people 55 or older if their household income is less than 50 or 60 percent of Maine’s median income.
The ECC intends to reserve 11 rooms for people with disabilities or AIDS and will partner with the Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA), a state-run organization.
The ECC acknowledged the current housing crisis across the state and in Portland in particular but claimed that the problem is particularly acute for LGBT people.
It is unclear why LGBT people would be more affected by the difficult housing market than others, given that landlords and employers are legally forbidden from discriminating against them.
The project will receive significant funding from the state and federal governments.
In 2024, MSHA selected the community center’s project for funding, and the project is set to receive $945,487 in state tax credits and $4,840,257 in federal tax credits.
The housing project will also be assisted by the city run Portland Housing Authority, which will serve as the building management company.
Despite the involvement of federal, state, and non-profit institutions, the project seems poised to violate anti-discrimination laws, although the community center claims that it will be open to all regardless of sexual orientation.
“Our project will be open to all that are 55+ and meet income requirements as set by MaineHousing for the greater Portland area,” said the ECC in response to questions from The Maine Wire.
The ECC suggests that the project will provide for the “longstanding need” of LGBT seniors for “centralized housing,” once again implying that it will discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation when deciding who can live in the building, despite their claims to The Maine Wire.
During a News Center Maine segment on the project, which featured interviews from one of the ECC’s founders, Ed Gardner, and its executive director, Chris O’Connor, reporters heavily implied that the building will be exclusive to LGBT people.
News Center Maine’s Zach Blanchard referred to the building as a “the state’s first LGBTQ+ affordable housing facility,” suggesting that the taxpayer funded project will violate anti-discrimination laws.
Although the ECC does not explicitly state that residents must be LGBT, it does demand that all residents abide by currently unpublished community standards, which will require them to abide by the community center’s values, which demand an “inclusive” living environment.
The housing development will be built at 25 Casco Street, Portland, a parking lot adjacent to the existing community center, using land donated by Gardner.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="28703 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=28703">15 Comments
Leave it to the socialists running Portland to come up with a scheme to pander and virtue signal to a special interest group while simultaneously violating federal and state anti-discrimination laws. This is utterly ridiculous and if we had an actual government here in Maine this project wouldn’t see the light of day
Why is it allowed to build special housing for these fruitcake abominations to God to live in? Where in the state constitution does it specify that taxpayer money is to be set aside and pay for housing for anyone let alone these fruits, nuts and flakes?
Go Portland. Forget the homeless vets. A gay-only housing project where the game of corn hole will be the #1 activity.
“The ECC intends to reserve 11 rooms for people with disabilities or AIDS” Err, ummm and how did these bundles of sticks contract AIDS? Oh, my bad, this is a Family oriented Newsletter.
Ak=ll I can say is write your senators like I am going to about it.
How do they prove they are LGBTQ? This cannot be legal.
I see a lawsuit
In Portland the only laws that matter are what the marxist party wants to do. They would just LOVE to discriminate against straight white Christian family folks. Hatred for all they disagree with is in their DNA.
Seems pretty intolerant and non inclusive.
More marxism from the marxist epicenter of ME. Of course they will use your fake printed money to do their business..
I am a municipal official in a small rural Maine town. We are struggling to meet the latest housing rules and regulations that the legislature passed last year. Lots of grant money is available for housing right now. But the most basic rule of all is it must be NON-DISCRIMINATORY. It is beyond belief that these fools are totally ignorant of that. DECD guides to development of housing speak to this first thing. “We cannot discriminate”. Did these idiots never go to school anyplace? Typical democrats, brains of a cockroach.
I suppose if someone really wants to get in on the tax payer freebie giveaway then one could always claim that they think they are something else than what they really are.
Seems like this is a blatant act of discrimination. Then again the folks pushing this and other madness have no regard for our societies laws if it prevents them from accomplishing their agenda.
What about diversity?
What about the furries?
I contribute to the ECC, and I am very proud of their accomplishments. Yet, I understand the confusion surrounding the WCSH piece, when in fact there are two distinct, but important stories deing discussed at the same time that have been conflated to appear as if there is bias towards the LGBTQ population. First, the Equality Community Center (ECC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing LGBTQ, and other marginalized social service organizations a safe place to work, socialize, and share resources. Mr. Gardner mentioned his aspiration to expand that type of organization to other areas in Maine.
The second story involves the funding and development of a 54-unit low income housing unit adjacent to the ECC complex. The housing complex is partially funded by the Maine State Housing Authority, but will be owned by the ECC. Members of the ECC are raising the overwhelming majority of the capital to pay for the building. WCSH made a mistake by saying the housing unit was “for the LGBTQ population” when in fact they should have said “developed by the LGBTQ population.”
As the owner of the building, the ECC must follow all rules related to public funding and has entered into an agreement with Portland Housing to administer the contracts. So much negativity over a small communication error; “for the LGBTQ” and “developed by the LGBTQ” sound similar, but the meaning is very different. There is nothing “Marxist” or “Socialist” in their activity. They are leveraging good financial strategies to provide housing to marginalized people; in this case, seniors and people with lower incomes. This aligns with their stated mission.
As one individual wrote, “how do they prove they are LGBTQ”? You don’t because it is not a prerequisite and cannot be proven, however one can prove their income status and age.