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Page 1 - 132LR2227(03)
STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
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H.P. 581 - L.D. 916
An Act to Promote Investment in Housing
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶GG, as amended by PL 2021, c. 322, §2, is
further amended by amending subparagraph (3) to read:
(3) Perform other functions and duties necessary for the proper administration of
the credit, including providing any necessary certifications and notices to taxpayers
and to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of
Revenue Services containing information required by the State Tax Assessor
necessary for determining eligibility and the amount of the credit for each taxable
year; and.
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶GG, as amended by PL 2021, c. 322, §2, is
further amended by amending the first blocked paragraph to read:
Rules adopted under this paragraph are routine technical rules.;
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶HH, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 322, §3, is
amended to read:
HH. Provide the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over
housing matters copies of any reports required to be submitted to the United States
Department of the Treasury or the Governor regarding the administration of the
emergency rental assistance programs established by Section 501 of Division N of the
federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and Section 3201(a) of the federal
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Copies of any reports required to be submitted to
the United States Department of the Treasury or the Governor must be submitted to the
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters
no later than 7 days after the reports are submitted to the United States Department of
the Treasury or the Governor. If no such reports are required to be submitted to the
United States Department of the Treasury or the Governor, the Maine State Housing
Authority shall submit, beginning January 15, 2022 and annually thereafter, to the joint
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters a report
on any rental assistance distributed by the Maine State Housing Authority.; and
APPROVED
APRIL 13, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
682
PUBLIC LAW
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Sec. 4. 30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶II is enacted to read:
II. Administer the Middle-income Housing Support Program and Middle-income
Housing Support Fund established in subchapter 10-B.
Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA c. 201, sub-c. 10-B is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 10-B
MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSING SUPPORT PROGRAM
§4946. Middle-income Housing Support Program
1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates,
the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Authority" means the Maine State Housing Authority.
B. "Fund" means the Middle-income Housing Support Fund established in subsection
3.
C. "Middle income" means income of an individual or household that does not exceed
200% of the area median income, as defined by the United States Department of
Housing and Urban Development, for the area in which the individual or household is
located as published by the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
D. "Program" means the Middle-income Housing Support Program established in
subsection 2.
2. Middle-income Housing Support Program established. The Middle-income
Housing Support Program is established within and administered by the authority.
3. Middle-income Housing Support Fund established. The Middle-income
Housing Support Fund is established within and administered by the authority as a
revolving, nonlapsing fund. The fund may receive money from any available state, federal
or private source.
4. Purpose of program and fund. The authority shall administer the program and
the fund to provide financial assistance in the form of loans or grants to cover the capital
costs to construct new dwelling units or rehabilitate existing dwelling units that will provide
to middle-income individuals and households who meet the criteria described in paragraphs
A and B the following:
A. Rental housing for individuals and households whose incomes are at or below 120%
of the area median income based on income limits published by the United States
Department of Housing and Urban Development; and
B. Homeownership options for individuals and households whose incomes are at or
below 180% of the area median income based on income limits published by the United
States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
5. Revolving loan fund; sliding scale. Whenever possible, the authority shall provide
financial assistance in the form of short-term loans to establish and maintain the fund as a
revolving loan fund. The authority shall develop a sliding scale of financial assistance
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available per dwelling unit based on the income level of the intended occupant of the
dwelling unit.
6. Reporting. By January 15th of each year, beginning in 2027, the authority shall
submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over
housing matters. The report must include details on program activity during the preceding
year and the use of funds received pursuant to subsection 3. The committee may report out
legislation in response to the report to any session in the year the report was due.
7. Guidance; rules. The authority shall develop written guidance and may adopt rules
to implement the program and the fund. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
Middle-income Housing Support Fund N572
Initiative: Establishes base allocations to authorize expenditures of funds received from
public or private sources.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $0 $500
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OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $500