Section 4766 - Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program1.Program established. The Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established within the Maine State Housing Authority. [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).]
2.Purpose. The purpose of the program is to provide grants to qualified providers of emergency housing and shelter services for the construction, renovation or acquisition of a new or existing building to provide emergency housing and shelter services. Grant funds may also be used to cover the costs to lease a building to provide emergency housing and shelter services. [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).]
3.Program requirements. The Maine State Housing Authority shall establish program requirements, including, but not limited to, requiring that an applicant to the program: A. Meet the eligibility requirements of existing programs within the Maine State Housing Authority that provide funding to reimburse shelter operators that provide emergency shelter services at a fixed location; [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).]B. Provide emergency housing and housing navigation services 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in the building that is constructed, acquired, renovated or leased using grant funds; and [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).]C. For requests greater than $100,000, demonstrate that the applicant has secured funding from a source other than state funding to match the amount of the grant request on a one-to-one basis. [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).] [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).]
4.Request for proposals; amount of grant. The Maine State Housing Authority shall issue a request for proposals to award grants under the program no later than January 1st of the year in which a grant will be issued and shall provide grants on an annual basis. When scoring requests for proposals, the Maine State Housing Authority shall award points favorably to applicants that propose to provide emergency housing and shelter services in geographic areas that are underserved and where the provision of those services could result in reducing the demand for emergency housing and shelter services in cities and towns in this State that serve as hubs for services for persons experiencing homelessness and in need of emergency shelter or that have a population of persons experiencing homelessness disproportionate to the housed population of the city or town. The maximum grant awarded to an applicant is determined by the Maine State Housing Authority. [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).]
5.Fund. The Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program Fund, referred to in this subsection as "the fund," is established within the Maine State Housing Authority to fund grants under the program. The fund may receive money from appropriations, allocations, donations and other sources, public and private. The fund is interest-bearing, and interest earned by the fund is credited to the fund. Money in the fund does not lapse and carries over to the next fiscal year. [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).]
6.Rules. The Maine State Housing Authority shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. [2023, c. 479, §1(NEW).]
Added by 2023SP1, c. 479,§ 1, eff. 10/25/2023.