Susan Collins opposes Donald Trump’s $1B ballroom request
Maine Morning Star - In their final debate, the five Democrats running for governor were asked how they would help struggling renters. From rent relief to eviction prevention, the candidates highlighted parts of their housing plans, while reiterating much of what they’ve said before: there’s a housing crisis, with insufficient stock and a dearth of affordable options.
Amid a flurry of last-minute campaign events ahead of the June 9 primary, the five Democratic candidates — Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson, Angus King III, Hannah Pingree and Nirav Shah — gathered at the University of Southern Maine’s Hannaford Hall on Thursday evening for a forum sponsored by the Cumberland County Democratic Party.
“There are over 150,000 renter households in Maine. Fifty-one percent of them are spending as much as 51% of their income on rent and risk eviction every month,” said moderator Cathy Lee. “Many of you focus on building housing, which takes years, or reducing property taxes for homeowners. What policies do you propose that would stabilize renter households now?”
Shah, the former head of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, talked about his immigrant family living in a “ratty” apartment in the west side of Chicago fearful of getting the boot from the landlord. He said in Maine “it is relatively easy to evict somebody if they are not paying their rent in a timely manner” and as governor he would shore up tenants’ rights. He also talked about permanently funding rent relief as well as existing programs that provide services and support before people are on the cusp of eviction.
Both Jackson and Bellows specifically mentioned the Quality Housing Coalition’s Project Home, a Portland-area eviction prevention program that offers wrap-around services to tenants who have experienced homelessness or housing insecurity, as a model that should be expanded across the state. They also both discussed the impact that private equity is having on the housing market.
“[W]e have to protect the stock that we have right now,” Jackson said, “be it houses, be it apartment buildings, mobile home parks, private equity is coming in here, buying these places up and forcing people out by raising rates, and the greed of this industry is insatiable.”
Jackson, a former Maine Senate President and logger from Allagash, also highlighted the work being done at UMaine Orono to 3D print homes with wood fiber, which is currently being explored as a solution for Bangor’s unhoused community, and said if elected he’d look into tax credits for renters.
“Housing is a human right,” Bellows declared, noting that in her hometown of Hancock, a mobile home park bought by private equity is pricing out longtime residents. Bellows, who currently serves as Maine Secretary of State, said the state needs to take a “housing first approach,” and said if elected she’d expand recovery homes and support a tenant’s bill of rights.
King did not say how he would help renters but highlighted the impact on companies that can’t secure affordable or stable housing for employees. “That is a huge problem for our economy, not just for our families, and for creating more and better jobs,” he said.
Center Square - The Department of Justice filed separate federal lawsuits Wednesday against Washington, Oregon, Maine and Massachusetts, escalating a clash between the Trump administration and Democratic-led states over federal immigration enforcement. The legal action follows a formal warning issued earlier this month by the Justice Department, which all four states refused to act upon. Federal officials argue the restrictions violate the U.S. Constitution, intentionally obstruct federal power and put undercover agents at risk. The lawsuits stem from decisions by state motor vehicle departments to suspend or heavily restrict the issuance of confidential, undercover license plates to Department of Homeland Security personnel, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
