STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
_____
JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE STRUGGLE OF
MAINE RESIDENTS WITH HOUSING COSTS AND THE
INADEQUACY OF HOUSING STOCK
WHEREAS, the writers of the Constitution of Maine articulated the natural rights of all
Maine people as including rights of pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness as well as
acquiring, possessing and protecting property; and
WHEREAS, the median home price in the State has increased by 55% in the last decade
due to short supply and high demand; and
WHEREAS, for 5 consecutive years, a majority of Maine households have been unable to
afford the median home sale price; and
WHEREAS, for 20 consecutive years, a majority of Maine renter households have been
unable to afford the median rent for a 2-bedroom apartment; and
WHEREAS, over 30,000 citizens of the State are on waiting lists to gain access to 14,000
affordable housing units in the State and only 250 new units are created each year; and
WHEREAS, 26,000 households in the State are on the Centralized Housing Choice
Voucher waiting list and the wait times for those subsidies can last for years; and
WHEREAS, nearly one out of 5 homes in the State are considered vacant according to the
United States Census Bureau, the highest percentage of vacant homes of any state in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, hospitals are unable to discharge patients due to a lack of supportive and
affordable housing placements, causing far greater expense than the cost of providing such
housing; and
WHEREAS, prisons and jails are unable to discharge people into supportive, affordable
housing, contributing to recidivism and causing far greater hardship and expense than the cost
of providing such housing; and
WHEREAS, businesses throughout the State are experiencing difficulty recruiting and
retaining workers due to the high cost and lack of available housing; and
WHEREAS, the Governor's Economic Recovery Committee recommends the
development of robust housing policies and programs that enable Maine people to live and
raise their families near their work; and
WHEREAS, this shortage of affordable housing exists in every part of the State and has a
direct impact on the health and welfare of Maine people; and
WHEREAS, our ability to build a strong, prosperous State that provides opportunity for
every resident is threatened by our residents' lack of access to affordable housing; now,
therefore, be it
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 RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Thirtieth Legislature now
assembled in the First Special Session, on behalf of the people we represent, recognize that the
majority of Maine households are struggling to afford housing costs, that the current supply
and condition of the State's housing stock are inadequate to meet the basic needs of the State's
citizens and that action must be taken to address these issues.
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