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Laura Mitchell is executive director of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition.
For years, we’ve heard stories about Maine’s housing issues. Even as Maine is recognized nationally for its work on housing — like allowing ADUs, decreasing parking requirements, allowing housing in commercial areas, and supporting starter homes — too many Mainers struggle to find a home they can afford that meets their needs.
For the first time, the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition commissioned housing polling from nationally renowned YouGov, a nonpartisan research institution. From July 9 to 18, YouGov asked 425 Maine registered voters what they think about the state’s challenges, the housing market, what they expect from elected leaders, and what solutions they support. Voters surveyed represented Maine’s rural and urban geographies, political parties and demographics.
We’ve heard individual stories about housing challenges from businesses, young people and older adults, and now Maine voters statewide have spoken.
The message was remarkably clear. Housing is Maine voters’ top issue.
Eight in 10 Maine voters said there aren’t enough homes affordable for average people to buy or rent.
This isn’t just about people struggling to find a home. More than three-quarters of voters said rising housing costs have negatively affected their lives or those of their family, friends, or neighbors — their ability to afford food, medicine, purchase a home, or save for retirement.
Maine voters are now asking their leaders to do something. When asked what’s more important for Maine, building new homes or protecting neighborhoods from change, seven in 10 Maine voters said “building more homes.”
Now voters expect state action. More than eight in 10 Mainers say the Legislature and the next governor should take action on housing.
When asked to choose between having the next governor prioritize building more homes and bringing down housing costs or preserving local control, 74% chose building more homes and lowering costs.
That is not a narrow constituency. It is a clear mandate from Republicans, Democrats and independents alike.
Maine voters also broadly support practical solutions: 78% support staff-only reviews to approve housing permits that meet existing rules; 75% support ongoing funding to build more affordable homes; 65% support allowing faith institutions — churches, synagogues, and other faith communities — to build affordable homes on their land; 64% support allowing homes with three or four units to follow building codes for small residential; 80% support requiring state and local governments to decide on housing permits within 90 days; and 67% support allowing homes to be built on smaller lots.
These changes matter because they can determine whether housing gets built, and whether it takes only a couple years or five years to get built.
We’ve learned a lot in the last few years about what works to build more homes in Maine, and what’s working across New England. We have momentum from the federal government just passing the first bipartisan housing bill in decades, and we have made progress in Maine, but more work is needed — and quickly.
At the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, we are focused on making it faster and less expensive to build homes; continuing to expand housing development in downtowns and making better use of existing commercial properties; speeding up permitting; and expanding investment in affordable homes that the market can’t feasibly build.
Maine voters agree on housing. They want their leaders to find common ground and get to work. As Mainers, we know that people who work in our communities should be able to live in them too, and young people who were raised in Maine should be able to afford to move home.
During this campaign season, you should ask your candidates a simple question: What steps will you take to build more homes that Maine people can afford?
Maine voters have spoken. They want more homes, homes they can afford, and action from their governor and Legislature.