Maine should have enough safe, affordable homes for all, including renters. But for many Mainers, a lack of affordable homes and sky-high rents are pulling their bank accounts into the red and threatening the roof over their heads. In 2023, nearly 6,000 Maine households faced eviction, an increase of 16 percent over the previous year, most for non-payment of rent. Among Maine households with extremely low-income, nearly 72 percent pay more than a third of their monthly income towards rent, and 52 percent pay more than half their monthly income to keep a roof over their heads.
Click here to read the full op-ed by MECEP State Priorities Partnership Fellow Josie Phillips and Maine Equal Justice policy advocate Andrea Steward, first posted March 11, 2024 in Bangor Daily News.
