Housing Policy Conflicts With Local Control in Maine

An article by Jessica Piper and Michael Shepherd outlines the conflict between proposed solutions to Maine's severe housing crisis and its history of local control. "A draft report released Thursday by a legislative housing commission proposed a range of solutions, including eliminating single-family zoning and annual caps on home construction, allowing homeowners to add accessory units like in-law apartments and allowing up to four units to be built in lots now zoned for one."

Supporters of the proposal say statewide housing policy is essential to achieving housing goals and increasing affordability for Maine households. But while other states are aggressively promoting housing development, encourage high-density construction, and impose quotas on affordable housing production, the recommendations could fail to get enough votes in the Maine legislature, where, according to the article, "[t]he desire for local control is a sacred principle." 

With the housing crisis showing no signs of abating, housing advocates are calling on state and federal officials to implement robust tenant and homeowner protection policies and maintain pandemic-era housing assistance infrastructure.