Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

APPROVED                 CHAPTER
                                                                  JULY 27, 2023                 479
                                                                 BY GOVERNOR              PUBLIC LAW
                                  STATE OF MAINE
                                          _____
                           IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
                      TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE
                                          _____
                                 H.P. 1176 - L.D. 1844
    An Act to Support Emergency Housing Construction and Renovation
             Statewide by Creating a Matching Grant Program
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
    Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4766 is enacted to read:
§4766. Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program
     1. Program established. The Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program, referred
to in this section as "the program," is established within the Maine State Housing Authority.
    2. Purpose. The purpose of the program is to provide grants to qualified providers of
emergency housing and shelter services for the construction, renovation or acquisition of a
new or existing building to provide emergency housing and shelter services. Grant funds
may also be used to cover the costs to lease a building to provide emergency housing and
shelter services.
    3. Program requirements. The Maine State Housing Authority shall establish
program requirements, including, but not limited to, requiring that an applicant to the
program:
    A. Meet the eligibility requirements of existing programs within the Maine State
    Housing Authority that provide funding to reimburse shelter operators that provide
    emergency shelter services at a fixed location;
    B. Provide emergency housing and housing navigation services 24 hours per day, 7
    days per week in the building that is constructed, acquired, renovated or leased using
    grant funds; and
    C. For requests greater than $100,000, demonstrate that the applicant has secured
    funding from a source other than state funding to match the amount of the grant request
    on a one-to-one basis.
    4. Request for proposals; amount of grant. The Maine State Housing Authority shall
issue a request for proposals to award grants under the program no later than January 1st
of the year in which a grant will be issued and shall provide grants on an annual basis.
When scoring requests for proposals, the Maine State Housing Authority shall award points
                                   Page 1 - 131LR1675(06)
favorably to applicants that propose to provide emergency housing and shelter services in
geographic areas that are underserved and where the provision of those services could result
in reducing the demand for emergency housing and shelter services in cities and towns in
this State that serve as hubs for services for persons experiencing homelessness and in need
of emergency shelter or that have a population of persons experiencing homelessness
disproportionate to the housed population of the city or town. The maximum grant awarded
to an applicant is determined by the Maine State Housing Authority.
    5. Fund. The Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program Fund, referred to in this
subsection as "the fund," is established within the Maine State Housing Authority to fund
grants under the program. The fund may receive money from appropriations, allocations,
donations and other sources, public and private. The fund is interest-bearing, and interest
earned by the fund is credited to the fund. Money in the fund does not lapse and carries
over to the next fiscal year.
    6. Rules. The Maine State Housing Authority shall adopt rules to carry out the
purposes of this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical
rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
   Sec. 2. Request for proposals. No later than January 1, 2024, the Maine State
Housing Authority shall issue a request for proposals for grants under the Emergency
Housing Matching Grant Program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section
4766, for the 2024 grant year under the program.
    Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program Fund N430
Initiative: Provides one-time appropriations for grants to homeless service providers to
construct, renovate or acquire new or existing buildings to house the homeless services.
GENERAL FUND                                                     2023-24           2024-25
 All Other                                                            $0          $257,000
                                                              __________       __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL                                                    $0          $257,000
Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program Fund N430
Initiative: Establishes ongoing base allocations to allow for the expenditure of funds if
money is received from donations and other public or private sources.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS                                      2023-24          2024-25
 All Other                                                          $500             $500
                                                              __________       __________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL                                   $500             $500
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
DEPARTMENT TOTALS                                                 2023-24          2024-25
  GENERAL FUND                                                          $0        $257,000
                                   Page 2 - 131LR1675(06)
 OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS                         $500          $500
                                               __________   __________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS                         $500      $257,500
                      Page 3 - 131LR1675(06)