Gov. Janet Mills

The 23-page report provides the first statewide snapshot from a housing tracking initiative administered by the Maine Office of Community Affairs in partnership with the Greater Portland Council of Governments.

The projects aim to enhance economic development, support workforce housing construction, expand child care options and fund infrastructure improvements across rural Maine.

Recent legislative action will have some positive impact on the housing shortage, but advocates stress there is more work to be done to reach the state’s goal of creating 84,000 more homes by 2030.

Recent data finds that 61% of workers in the state's heritage sectors, which include agriculture, fishing, forestry and logging, have identified a need for increased public education and access to health services.

The 15-member advisory group is required to submit policy recommendations and strategies to the governor and Legislature by Jan. 29, 2027.

With Mills out of the race, Democrat Graham Platner moves into the clear frontrunner spot to face the incumbent, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in the Nov. 3 general election.

The measure, sponsored by state Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Freeport, would have prohibited state and municipal permitting of data centers 20 megawatts and larger until Nov. 1, 2027.

The program is designed to boost affordable rental housing development. It provides up to $10 million annually, with a maximum possible allocation of $15 million in any one year, including carried-forward credits.

“This is a once-in-a-generation moment for Maine’s higher education landscape,” David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System, said at Friday's ceremony.

The new measure, signed by the governor this week, bars medical debt collectors form placing a lien on a person's home or garnishing their wages.