The Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Committee is steering policy to facilitate housing development to meet the need now as well as for the coming years.
State Rep. Traci Gere, D- Kennebunkport, chair of the Maine Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Committee FILE PHOTO
With the extraordinary influx of new residents over the past few years, Maine needs an estimated 84,000 new units of housing by 2030, according to the latest comprehensive study.
As chair of the Maine Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Committee, state Rep. Traci Gere, D-Kennebunkport, is steering policy to facilitate housing development to meet the need now as well as for the coming years.
“Last session, the legislature approved on-going funding for the state’s programs that support the production of rental housing and homes for ownership for workers and households with very low incomes,” Gere says.
“This year, we are considering a housing bond that will bridge the gap between now and when that funding becomes available. We must keep our strong momentum going so that developers, builders and construction workers have a pipeline of projects.”
She lauds the addition of a Maine Office of Community Affairs online tool that provides one-stop assistance for Maine communities.
Two bills that Gere’s committee is shepherding, LD 161 and LD 128, seek to address burdensome processes for state project review as well as to streamline approvals for projects in developed areas that have existing infrastructure and services.
“We will also be considering new bills based on the recommendations of several working groups, on topics including spurring innovative housing production methods and reducing regulatory barriers to housing construction,” Gere says.
“And we are working to protect assets that we already have, by advancing reuse of community buildings like vacant schools for housing, helping mobile home park residents to stay in their homes, and assisting with rehab and repair of existing homes.”
