Oct. 18 – Applications open Monday for MaineHousing’s new eviction prevention pilot program, which aims to reduce the burden of high rents and rental debt on households at risk of losing their homes.
The program, which was funded this year by a one-time allocation of $18 million from the state, will provide a two-pronged approach to rent relief: providing one-time assistance to tenants in paying back rent, plus monthly rent subsidies for a year. , said Victoria Morales, executive director of the Quality Housing Coalition, which oversees the program through a contract with MaineHousing. She said the program will provide monthly rental assistance of up to $800, or rent costs — whichever is less — will be paid directly to landlords. Each recipient can receive a maximum of $19,200 in total, she said.
The pilot will focus on people who are actively facing eviction by the courts or who have received a deportation order, Morales said. The program is also open to households that have received a notice to stop, MaineHousing said in a statement Friday.
“It really aims to target the people who are most at risk of deportation,” Morales said. She noted that Maine saw about 5,800 eviction filings last year, which is “a lot for our small state.”
The pilot is open to households earning less than 60% of the region’s average income and paying less than 125% of the fair market rent in their region, who are eligible for the support. Those who currently receive rental assistance through federal subsidies or who live in government-subsidized housing will not be eligible for the new program.
Morales said the exclusion is intended to ensure that aid reaches individuals and family members who are not already receiving any form of assistance.
About 65,000 households in Maine are rent burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent and other housing costs, including utilities, said MaineHousing spokesman Scott Thistle. Deportation can uproot a family, force children out of school and undermine their sense of stability, Morales said.
The $18 million the state has set aside should be enough to cover administrative costs and provide assistance to between 800 and 1,100 households, Morales said.
MaineHousing Director Dan Brennan said the program is intended to reduce the likelihood that households currently facing eviction will do so again in the future, putting them on the path to financial stability.
“We have the right partners to deliver a quality program that will help Mainers in need stay housed this winter, avoid eviction and improve their economic status,” Brennan said in a statement.
Thistle added that the coalition “has a track record of administering these types of programs.” The Portland-based nonprofit’s proposal was selected from a half-dozen bids.
“They have people in every county,” Thistle said. “It’s pretty impressive.”
Applications open Monday at 10 a.m. and interested parties can apply online, by phone or by making an appointment in person, MaineHousing said. Morales hopes the approvals will be rolled out within a few weeks.
More details, including a breakdown of maximum rents for different regions in Maine, are available on MaineHousing’s website.
Morales called the new program a sign that Maine “really understands” the magnitude of housing needs across the state. But, she said, “This is not going to solve the housing crisis. This is just one solution.”
Copy the story link
