Hannah heard from people across Maine who talked about innovative housing solutions happening in their communities, the challenges they face, and what they want from the next Governor. 

Hundreds of examples, ideas and challenges were raised in visits, community meetings, and project tours across the state. In a direct response to all the feedback she’s heard, Hannah is leading with bold, comprehensive initiatives to expand housing, protect affordability, and ensure that every Mainer has a place to live with dignity and security.

Maine needs to meet this moment and this plan will: 

• Double the pace of housing production across the state to meet the urgent demand for more housing that Maine people can afford.
• Serve the diverse needs of Maine’s people and communities. 
• Reduce the regulatory barriers which slow new housing development and increase costs.
• Invest state funds wisely to increase the total number of homes produced each year and better leverage private sector and community support.
• Reduce sprawl and encourage housing development in downtowns and near schools, workplaces, and services.

Invest $100 Million a Year

Maine needs to build more homes, faster, and ensure they remain affordable. Hannah will:

• Commit $100 million a year to finance new construction and preservation of much-need housing across Maine.
• Use smart and innovative incentives to leverage greater private sector investment in Maine’s housing market, while also ensuring long-term affordability. 
• Deploy diverse programs to meet diverse needs across the state, like the rural rental program, allowing multiple project scales, historic building re-use, and the ability to meet urgent housing needs.
• Expand programs for middle-income housing, first-time homebuyers, and the infrastructure support required to develop new housing.
• Utilize targeted incentive funds to ensure aging public housing and other types of available affordable housing isn’t lost from the state’s housing stock.
• Partner with municipalities, businesses, non-profits, philanthropy, and land trusts to match state funds with local funds or donated land for housing, leveraging greater development dollars and helping to increase community support for projects.
• Incentivize the use of modular, panelized, and other innovative construction methods and products, especially from Maine, to reduce costs, grow Maine’s economy and deliver housing more rapidly.

Take on Private Equity and Corporate Greed

Maine homes belong to Maine families, not out-of-state investors and corporate landlords. Hannah will:

• Protect and expand Maine’s mobile home parks and affordable housing through greater support for resident ownership, co-ops, and community housing trusts and preventing further sales to out-of-state investors.
• Hold private equity groups and large out-of-state corporate landlords accountable with stronger tenant protections and increased oversight.
• Leverage the new state land bank to acquire and preserve valuable properties that could be redeveloped for housing stock versus sales to speculators.
• Support efforts to level the playing field for Maine entities to better compete with out-of-state corporations for the purchase of residential properties on the market in targeted communities.
• Strengthen fair housing protections in partnership with the Office of Maine’s Attorney General and go after predatory companies that exploit tenants and fail to meet health and safety standards.

Accelerate Permit Approvals, Cut Red Tape and Reduce Barriers to New Housing

To build homes faster and smarter, Hannah will:

• Streamline the state permitting and approval processes, including DEP, Fire Marshal, and other required approvals – setting a 90-day permit processing time-limit for most new projects and simplifying applications to reduce paperwork required.
• Support local implementation of new ordinances and zoning reforms that increase density and encourage smart growth, support housing production, and meet housing goals.
• Establish Regional Housing Hubs across Maine to support efforts to meet regional housing goals and provide technical and planning support to local planners, code enforcement, and infrastructure needs to help get projects approved and built efficiently.
• Provide state support for model ordinances and zoning updates, as well as provide sample  pre-approved building designs to support allowable building types like ADU’s and small multi-unit buildings to be built by right.
• Support adjustments to state building codes to simplify construction, while ensuring efficiency and safety.
• Require time limits for local housing approvals and appeals, and create fast-track state legal processes to get to quicker decision making and faster conflict resolution.
• Provide technical assistance and capacity-building to help nonprofits, municipalities, and developers deliver housing projects efficiently.

Grow the Workforce and Industries that Build Our Homes

Maine cannot solve its housing crisis without skilled workers. Hannah will:

• Permanently fund Maine’s free community college program.
• Invest in 1000 construction pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships with companies, unions, and other training institutions and employers to increase the number of workers in all the construction trades.
• Partner with community colleges, career and technical education (CTE) programs, unions, and local contractors to provide high-quality education, training, and licensing in the trades.
• Promote the importance and value of construction careers as high-demand, valued jobs to Maine students and other job seekers and highlight the important role these industries plan in building homes for Mainers.
• Increase support for small businesses in the trades and construction industries, so they can grow their businesses to scale to meet the need.
• Support innovative industries and business growth among manufacturers that produce building materials in Maine for the housing sector.

Reduce Evictions and Address Rising Homelessness in Maine

No Mainer should live without a safe, stable home. Hannah will:

• Prioritize eviction prevention programs for seniors, families with children and other vulnerable populations to help more households avoid instability and homelessness.
• Build on the successful launch of the Home for Good program to house the chronically homeless with wrap-around support by fully implementing the program.
• End veteran homelessness in her first year in office.
• Address homelessness among Maine children and their families through expanded supports to schools and family housing programs.
• Implement regional homelessness hubs, in partnership with municipal and regional governments and non-profit providers, to reduce homelessness in every county of the state in ways that meet diverse geographic needs.