Our choice of where to live is a deeply important kind of freedom. Housing makes a big difference in what jobs we can take, our kids' education, how close we live to family and friends--in short, our future. Housing IS opportunity.
Unfortunately, some landlords discriminate against people who use Housing Choice Vouchers (also known as Section 8), Social Security Insurance, General Assistance, or veteran's benefits to pay for their rent. While discrimination happens a lot, Maine renters don’t have enough legal protection or resources to fight back. Landlords can act like gatekeepers in communities with tight rental markets, and as a result, families with vouchers can’t find anywhere affordable to live near their work, where their kids are already in school, or in the communities where they have ties.
That's why organizations across Maine sent a letter to the Judiciary Committee in support of LD 847 ahead of its hearing Tuesday, including Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter & Services; Preble Street; Homeless Voices for Justice; Tedford Housing; Legal Services for Maine Elders; National Homelessness Law Center; Community Organizing Alliance; Rumford Group Homes, Inc.; Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations; Community Housing of Maine; Maine Youth Power; Poverty & Race Research Action Council; Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence; Raise-Op Housing Cooperative; Maine Peoples Alliance; Fair Tide & Mainspring; ACLU of Maine; Maine Equal Justice.
Because of discrimination and short housing supply, about one in three families have had to give up their vouchers in recent years. If LD 847 is successful, Maine would join 20 other states and 100 local municipalities that have passed income discrimination protections for renters. Vermont, a state that added a source of income protections in 2012, has a voucher success rate of 74%, 10% above Maine’s rate.
Regardless of what a landlord intends, refusing to take vouchers or other kinds of government support mean that people who already face discrimination are most likely to be hurt: tenants of color, people with disabilities, single women heads of household, and families with children. It forces low-income tenants into substandard housing in poor neighborhoods and perpetuates segregation, which works against our national fair housing laws and our basic sense of fairness.
LD 847 has been carefully researched and written, and discussed at length by lawmakers. It’s an important, overdue protection for Maine families who have struggled to find affordable places to rent, and essential if Maine wants to use all of the federal housing funds it is due.
Unfortunately, the Judiciary Committee didn't pass the anti-discrimination protections. Republicans voted against passing the bill and Democrats opted to amend the bill to study the issue further. This was deeply disappointing because renters and advocates have shared their lived experiences with discrimination, and we already have data from how these laws work in other states and municipalities. This is a serious issue and we will continue to advocate for strong protections for Mainers - whether that is through the study process or future legislation. We also want to recognize all the work that has been done by the bill sponsor Rep. Cheryl Golek, especially, who has championed this issue since becoming a legislator.
We can't accept the wealth inequity and same old housing policies that are keeping people in the cold. Want to speak up for more affordable homes in 2026? Sign up and we will keep you informed!
