MAINEHOUSING AND MAINE ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING DIRECTORS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO ENCOURAGE LANDLORDS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR MAINE

Today MaineHousing and the Maine Association of Public Housing Directors (MAPHD) announced a partnership designed to encourage private landlords to rent units to Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) recipients which will increase affordable housing availability in Maine.

MaineHousing is making $380,000 of HCV Program Administrative Fees from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) available for the program through December 31, 2021.

“Maine landlords are key to helping us provide Maine people an affordable place to live,” said Daniel Brennan, director of MaineHousing. “HCV tenants frequently have a hard time finding landlord who will accept a housing choice voucher. This program aims to help change that and encourage landlords to work with public housing authorities across Maine.”

MaineHousing, which is the public housing authority for municipalities in Maine without their own PHA, has successfully run a similar program. Brennan noted that this helps “level the playing field” across the state.

“With over 25,600 people on Maine’s centralized wait list for Housing Choice Vouchers, we are working together and getting creative about how to help house folks who finally get a voucher,” said Jennifer Sweetser, chair of MAPHD and executive director of the Presque Isle Housing Authority. “We hope these incentives encourage landlords take a chance on participating in the Housing Choice Voucher program.”

Incentives include a $750 signing bonus for landlords who lease a unit to an HCV recipient, grant funds to fix items that fail the federally-required unit inspection standards, and grant funds to help fix damage caused by an HCV recipient. The program also funds security deposits for HCV recipients.

More information can be found at mainehousing.org/landlordincentives.

###

MaineHousing has helped Maine people own, rent, repair, and heat their homes since 1969. MaineHousing is an independent state authority created to address the problems of unsafe, unsuitable, overcrowded, and unaffordable housing. MaineHousing is a $1.8 billion financial institution with a staff of over 160 people. MaineHousing assists more than 90,000 Maine households and invests more than $300 million in the Maine economy annually.

The Maine Association of Public Housing Directors consists of Public Housing Executive Directors throughout the State of Maine. Membership covers twenty local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) from Sanford to Fort Fairfield.