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| Maine Affordable Housing Coalition | |
|---|---|
| Name | Maine Affordable Housing Coalition |
| Type | Nonprofit coalition |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Location | Portland, Maine |
| Area served | Maine |
| Focus | Affordable housing, homelessness, housing policy |
Maine Affordable Housing Coalition is a statewide coalition that brings together housing advocates, nonprofit organizations, local government officials, housing developers, and community stakeholders to address affordable housing needs across Maine. The coalition engages in policy advocacy, technical assistance, and public education to influence legislative efforts such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and state housing trust fund proposals while collaborating with entities like the Maine State Housing Authority, United Way of Maine, Habitat for Humanity International, and regional planners.
Founded in the late 20th century, the coalition emerged amid debates following federal policy changes like the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and shifts in funding from programs such as the Section 8 rental assistance program and the Community Development Block Grant. Early activity aligned with statewide responses to housing crises experienced in municipalities including Portland, Maine, Bangor, Maine, and Lewiston, Maine, and paralleled advocacy by organizations like the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funders. Over subsequent decades the coalition has worked during administrations of governors including John R. McKernan Jr., Angus King, Paul LePage, and Janet Mills to shape policy debates around the Franklin Roosevelt-era precedent of federal housing supports and modern state initiatives.
The coalition's stated mission emphasizes increasing the supply of permanently affordable rental and ownership housing, reducing homelessness, and promoting equitable development in rural and urban communities such as Aroostook County, Cumberland County, Maine, and Penobscot County, Maine. Goals typically reference coordination with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, alignment with federal programs like the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act, and improving outcomes for populations served by agencies including MaineHousing and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The coalition provides policy briefings, capacity-building workshops, and model ordinances used by municipal bodies including planning boards in South Portland, Maine and Biddeford, Maine. Services include technical assistance on applications for financing through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and collaboration on multifamily projects financed by the Federal Home Loan Bank and state housing trust funds. It also convenes working groups on issues intersecting with institutions such as the University of Southern Maine and Maine Medical Center to address workforce housing needs and links with service providers like Pine Tree Legal Assistance and Catholic Charities Maine for tenant protections.
The coalition has led campaigns supporting expansions of state capital bonding for housing, reforms to municipal land use controls including zoning changes inspired by cases in Minneapolis and policy models from the National Housing Conference, and increased funding for homelessness prevention aligned with recommendations from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. It has testified before the Maine Legislature and engaged with executive agencies to influence statutes and programs resembling the Housing First model and to defend the integrity of federal programs such as Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly.
Governance typically comprises a board of directors with representatives from community development corporations like Preble Street, financial institutions including regional banks, affordable housing developers such as Avesta Housing (Maine), and legal advocates from organizations like Greater Portland Council of Governments. Day-to-day operations are led by an executive director who coordinates member committees on policy, finance, and outreach, and liaises with partners including MaineHousing and statewide networks like the Maine Continuum of Care.
Funding sources include membership dues, grants from philanthropic funders such as the Maine Community Foundation and the Ford Foundation, competitive project funding through programs linked to the Community Development Block Grant and the National Housing Trust Fund, and partnerships with entities like Habitat for Humanity International and regional employers seeking workforce housing. Collaborative grantmaking and in-kind support have involved municipal partners including the City of Portland, Maine and regional planners such as the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments.
The coalition has contributed to policy wins that increased funding for preservation and new construction of affordable units in regions across Maine, influenced municipal zoning reforms, and supported programs reducing veteran homelessness in coordination with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Critics argue that coalition strategies sometimes privilege large-scale financing mechanisms like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit over grassroots production models advocated by organizations such as Cooperative Development Institute, and raise concerns about the effectiveness of voucher programs compared to direct construction initiatives championed by groups like Housing Assistance Council. Debates persist around balancing preservation in historic districts such as those in Rockland, Maine with new development in fast-growing communities.
Category:Housing organizations based in Maine