Maine’s 41 emergency shelters are at capacity almost every night and still struggling to meet the growing need with current state funding levels. It costs an average of $102 a night to operate a shelter bed in Maine (including administration, staff, and support services). Currently, emergency shelters only receive $7 a night per bed from the state’s Shelter Operating Subsidy, leaving shelters to make up the gap through a wide range of other funding sources. LD 698: An Act to Sustain Emergency Homeless Shelters in Maine will critically increase this funding to $18 a night per bed.
TAKE ACTION!
LD 698: An Act to Sustain Emergency Homeless Shelters in Maine will be considered by the Maine Legislature’s Housing & Economic Committee on Tuesday, March 18, at 1:00 PM. Maine’s funding for shelters hasn’t increased since 2016; LD 698 proposes increasing per night funding from $7 to $18. You can help keep people in Maine sheltered and safe and by submitting testimony in support of this bill.
Click the link below and follow the instructions to submit online testimony, supporting LD 698. You can submit written testimony, using the script below, or provide testimony over Zoom.
SUBMIT TESTIMONY FOR LD 698
- Click the button below.
- Select “Public Hearing” as the type of hearing.
- Under “Choose a committee,” select “Housing and Economic Development.”
- Under “Choose date,” select “Mar 18 2025 1:00PM.“
- Under “Choose a bill,” select “LD 698: An Act to Sustain Emergency Homeless Shelters in Maine.”
- Copy and paste the script below, and submit your written testimony.
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
Senator Curry, Representative Gere, and esteemed members of the Housing and Economic Development Committee,
My name is (fill in your name), and I’m a resident of (where you live), Maine.
I’m writing to support LD 698: An Act to Sustain Emergency Homeless Shelters in Maine.
Maine’s emergency shelters provide critical care and services to vulnerable individuals and families. With the growing homelessness crisis in our state, shelters across Maine are struggling to match the need, leaving far too many people no choice but to sleep outside and in places not meant for human habitation. If even one shelter closes, it will strain an already overburdened system and worsen this crisis, leaving more people to compete for fewer resources, including shelter beds, housing navigators, and critical life-saving services.
MaineHousing reports that a shelter bed in Maine costs $102 a night to operate, yet the state’s Shelter Operating Subsidy only provides Maine emergency shelters with $7 a bed per night. This figure has remained the same since 2016, meanwhile Maine’s emergency shelters have faced rising costs from inflation and had to expand services to keep communities safe during the pandemic. LD 698 will critically increase this contribution to $18 a bed per night, helping to ensure Maine’s emergency shelters remain open, accessible, and professionally operated.
Maine needs and deserves safe and accessible emergency shelters that can meet the needs of the growing number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our state. LD 698 will help to make this a reality.
Thank you.
You can also use the link below to find your representative and reach out to them directly!
