LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
April 23, 2025
Greetings community advocates,
Your voice is making a difference. Thanks to your continued engagement, LD 641 — our bill to prevent homelessness through targeted diversion efforts — is advancing through the Maine Legislature with strong support. In this month’s update, we’re sharing what’s next for the bill, how we’ve been spotlighting ALICE data with lawmakers, and what else we’re tracking at the State House. Let’s keep the momentum going together.
Support LD 641, An Act to Support Diversion Efforts to Prevent Homelessness in Maine
LD 641, An Act to Support Diversion Efforts to Prevent Homelessness in Maine, continues to build momentum at the State House — and we are grateful for the strong support it has received from community partners and legislators alike.
Public Hearing Highlights
The public hearing for LD 641 took place on Tuesday, March 18, and drew over twenty supportive testimonies, clearly demonstrating a broad coalition of support from housing providers, municipal leaders, advocacy organizations, and legislators.
Work Session & Committee Vote
The work session was held on Tuesday, April 8, where the bill received an “Ought to Pass as Amended” recommendation with a final vote of 11–2.
An amendment was adopted to update the title of the bill from: “An Act to Support Diversion Efforts to Address Homelessness in Maine” to: “An Act to Support Diversion Efforts to Prevent Homelessness in Maine”
This amendment was welcomed by both United Way of Southern Maine and the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Malon, as it better reflects the proactive, prevention-focused nature of the bill.
What’s Next?
LD 641 is now headed to the full House and Senate for votes. To prepare, we are launching a new campaign to educate lawmakers and mobilize constituents in support of this critical bill.
👉 Take action now: Reach out to your State Representative and State Senator and urge them to vote in favor of LD 641! Click here to send a message to your state lawmakers.
Your voice will be essential in helping lawmakers understand how housing diversion keeps people safely housed, reduces shelter demand, and saves money long-term. Let’s keep the momentum going.
Sharing ALICE Data with the Common Ground Caucus
Earlier this month, we shared ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) data with the Common Ground Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
During the session, we provided legislators with ALICE data specific to their districts, highlighting the thousands of constituents who work hard but still struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, child care, health care, and transportation.
We emphasized the need to:
- Prioritize policies that reduce the cost burden on working families
- Invest in community-level solutions that support economic mobility
- Have lawmakers partner with their local United Way to ensure the voices of ALICE households are heard in policy decisions
We are deeply grateful for the engagement and thoughtful questions from legislators, and we look forward to continued collaboration with the state lawmakers to uplift Maine’s working households.
Other Bills & Budget Items We’re Tracking
We continue to monitor several legislative and budget measures that impact our mission. Below is a list of key policies and our positions.
LD 641: An Act to Support Diversion Efforts to Prevent Homelessness in Maine
Summary: Expands funding for Maine’s Housing Problem Solving (HPS) program to prevent homelessness.
Impact: Could help over 1,000 Mainers avoid homelessness with early, cost-effective intervention.
Actions: UWSM introduced the bill with Rep. Marc Malon and submitted testimony in support.
LD 128: An Act to Support Permitting of Certain Multifamily Housing Developments Under the Site Location of Development Laws
Summary: Streamlines permitting to allow more housing types, including up to four-family units and accessory dwellings.
Impact: Could increase housing supply and affordability by easing local development restrictions.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in support.
LD 193: An Act to Fund Students in Maine Schools Who Are Experiencing Homelessness
Summary: Provides extra state funding to schools for each student experiencing homelessness.
Impact: Helps schools offer essential services like transportation, school supplies, and support for vulnerable students.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in support.
LD 219: An Act to Limit Hypodermic Apparatus Exchange Programs to a One-for-one Exchange
Summary: Would shift syringe service programs from a flexible model to a one-for-one exchange.
Impact: Intended to decrease syringe litter in our communities. Could increase syringe-sharing and disease transmission as a consequence.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony neither for nor against.
LD 514: Resolve to Raise MaineCare Reimbursement Rates for Detox Services
Summary: Raises the daily reimbursement rate for detox services to prevent facility closures.
Impact: Helps keep detox beds open and affordable, improving access to recovery services.
Actions: UWSM advocated for this bill prior to the work session.
LD 698: An Act to Sustain Emergency Homeless Shelters in Maine
Summary: Provides $5 million per year in state funding to emergency homeless shelters.
Impact: Supports shelters facing funding cliffs and helps prevent closures of critical services.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in support.
LD 1029: An Act to Improve General Assistance for Housing and Basic Needs
Summary: Updates Maine’s General Assistance program to better cover both housing and basic needs.
Impact: Improves access to essentials like food and shelter, especially for smaller towns and vulnerable Mainers.
Actions: UWSM will submit testimony in support; pending full vote from United Ways of Maine.
Universal School Meals (Budget Initiative)
Summary: Maintains universal free meals in Maine schools.
Impact: Helps fight child hunger, improves classroom outcomes, and saves families money.
Actions: UWSM supported inclusion in the biennial budget.
HOME Fund Reduction (Budget Initiative)
Summary: Redirects $10 million from affordable housing (HOME Fund) to the General Fund.
Impact: Weakens support for affordable housing programs, homeless services, and new affordable units.
Actions: UWSM opposed this proposal.
MaineCare Stability (Budget Initiative)
Summary: Invests $118 million to stabilize MaineCare and keep pace with enrollment.
Impact: Protects health coverage for 1 in 3 Mainers.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in support.
Child Care Salary Supplement Cut (Budget Initiative)
Summary: Proposes cutting $15 million annually from child care educator wage support.
Impact: Would lower average wages and worsen the child care workforce crisis.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in opposition; UWSM leadership also submitted an op-ed.
Child Care Employment Award Cut (Budget Initiative)
Summary: Proposes eliminating a new program that helps child care workers afford care for their own kids.
Impact: Undermines workforce support efforts and child care system stability.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in opposition.
Head Start Funding Cut (Budget Initiative)
Summary: Cuts $3.6 million annually from state funding for Head Start access.
Impact: Reduces services for children from low-income families.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in opposition.
Amendments to the Maine Child Care Affordability Program (Supplemental Budget – Part N)
Summary: Expands eligibility for child care assistance to all qualifying families regardless of income.
Impact: Broadens access to affordable, quality child care for working families.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in support.
Free Community College – 2 Enrollment Years (Supplemental Budget – Part Q)
Summary: Provides one-time funding to continue two years of free community college.
Impact: Supports workforce development and upward mobility for ALICE households.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in support.
Limits on General Assistance Housing Support (Supplemental Budget – Part S)
Summary: Caps housing assistance under GA to just three months per year per household.
Impact: Could increase homelessness by restricting aid to vulnerable families and individuals.
Actions: UWSM submitted testimony in opposition.
Stay Engaged
Your advocacy makes a difference! We’ll share updates as our bill progresses, including opportunities for action. In the meantime, please encourage others to sign up for our advocacy alerts to stay informed.
Thank you for being part of this movement for a stronger, more equitable Maine.
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