This information is being posted on behalf of the Maine Homeless Policy Committee.
Good afternoon – I wanted to call your attention to the opportunity to email members of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee regarding bills on the Special Appropriations Table. Please ask Members of Appropriations to fund bills that we have been following this Legislative Session so that Maine has the resources it needs to address homelessness:
- Fund homeless shelters:
- LD 698, An Act to Sustain Emergency Homeless Shelters in Maine
- Fund diversion/prevention programs:
- LD 641, An Act to Support Diversion Efforts to Address Homelessness in Maine.
- Fund rental assistance:
- LD 748, An Act to Increase Bridging Rental Assistance Program Housing Voucher Funding to Reduce the Current Partial Waitlist and Increase Housing Vouchers for Those Living with Mental Health Challenges
- Fund General Assistance Reimbursement:
- LD 978, An Act to Increase General Assistance Reimbursement for Municipalities and Indian Tribes (not yet considered in the House/Senate but anticipated to be on the Table)
- Support affordable housing by passing this bill:
- LD 1082, An Act to Invest in Maine’s Families and Workforce by Amending the Real Estate Transfer Tax
A draft template email, including email addresses for Members of the AFA Committee that can easily be copied/pasted, is attached. It might also be helpful to include any testimony you have previously submitted as attachments to your email. Or pull from that testimony to create your email.
It is always best to personalize your message – use the template to pull from it what you want. Emails run the risk of being ignored if they are identical to others received. Please make the message your own so it will be read.
On behalf of the Maine Homeless Policy Committee, thank you for taking action and working together to be successful. Cullen