About Us

Our Values

Dignity & Respect
Person-Centered Leadership 
Empowerment
Innovative Collaboration
Teamwork
Accountability

 Our Vision

We envision a Maine where income, gender, race, ethnicity, gender identity, age and ability do not create barriers to safe housing, essential resources, and opportunities for all to thrive, belong, and contribute to their communities. 

The Housing Challenge

Maine is full of active and vibrant small town communities, brimming with restaurants, small businesses, bakeries, coffee shops, breweries, art, music, inland and coastal green spaces, beaches, and trails for all to enjoy. As Maine grows in population and economic productivity in the coming years, our communities are working hard to make space for new job opportunities within our innovative and resilient economy. The biggest obstacle to this growth, however, is the lack of housing. 

 

According to recent studies, Maine is currently in need of 80,000+ new units of housing by 2030 to meet the current and future needs of employees to live and work close to their jobs. With nearly 50% of all renters unable to afford the rent, 20,000+ households on the waiting list for Section 8 vouchers, too many individuals living outside, and thousands of renters at risk of eviction, this is an urgent challenge that requires immediate attention. 


Quality Housing Coalition was created in direct response to this challenge with an understanding that access to stable and affordable housing is the linchpin to good health and financial stability. QHC centers its work around inclusive cross-sector community partnerships by working with municipalities, housing authorities, state and local leaders, housing and homeless advocates, nonprofit and for profit housing developers, tenants, landlords, property managers, and community members to create policies that provide housing, health, and financial stability for those in need in Maine. 


Project Home, QHC's flagship program, provides rental agency services, resident service coordination, eviction prevention services, and home health outreach services to 400-450 households per year in partnership with 1,100 landlord partners throughout Maine. Project Home Trust provides direct cash assistance to single mothers. Project Home to Profession provides professional development and job placement services—including personalized job coaching; Advanced Professional English courses designed for careers in Healthcare, Hospitality, and Construction/Manufacturing; as well as access to computers, wifi, and driver’s education. 


We are a 501 (c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization.

Board of Directors

Brit Vitalius

Brit Vitalius

Brit has been representing buyers and sellers of multi-unit investments since 2004. He founded Vitalius Real Estate Group in 2011 to form a group of specialists to provide a full complement of residential, multi-family and commercial brokerage services to clients.  

Brit is in his fourth term as President of the Southern Maine Landlord Association, a group which seeks to keep landlords up-to-date on important issues, trends and regulations. In the wake of the 2015 Noyes Street Fire, Brit became an active participant in multi-unit fire safety issues, and he was asked to serve on Portland's Fire Safety Task Force. 
 
As a Realtor, he serves as a member of the Board of Maine Listings (the Maine MLS). Brit also enjoys his non-real estate community roles as a member of the Board of the Portland Community Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Trustee and Governance committee for the Portland Symphony Orchestra. The Vitalius team is also a proud sponsor of 2 Degrees Portland. In his free time, Brit manages his own portfolio of multi-unit investments in Portland and Yarmouth.

Brit grew up in Yarmouth, before he graduated from Harvard University in 1995. He lives in Yarmouth with his wife, Yasmin, 8-year-old son, Coltrane and 5-year-old daughter, Allegra. He enjoys mountain biking, tennis, and single malt scotch. 
Larissa Gahimbare

Larissa Gahimbare

Larissa is a dedicated community servant who leverages her expertise in supporting individuals facing income and housing insecurity, designing and managing the community support they require to succeed, in her role as a Board Member at QHC. Currently, she serves as the Director of the 166 Riverside Shelter for the City of Portland. 

Previously, Larissa served as the Program Manager, overseeing the city's emergency shelters, and worked as a Human Services Counselor at the City of Portland Family Shelter, where she facilitated transitions out of the shelter through social service connections. Before these roles, she gained experience at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Family Independence, and at FEDCAP Rehabilitation Services. At FEDCAP, she contributed to Breaking the Cycle, a program aimed at increasing participation in work-related activities and achieving sustainable employment for adults with families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). 

Larissa loves her Portland community and enjoys taking walks.

Leah Bruns

Leah Bruns

Leah Bruns works with the Portland Housing Authority as Deputy Executive Director. In her position Leah is responsible for the implementation of all phases of the agency’s administration of approximately 2000 housing vouchers and 20 million in annual voucher funding. This work includes policy development, planning, and compliance for a wide variety of voucher types and initiatives. Leah holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the Muskie School of Public Service, as well as advanced certification in Research and Evaluation Methods, Social Policy Analysis, and Housing Choice Voucher Executive Management. Leah has 30+ years of non-profit experience in Maine, and has focused on building positive relationships, and creating innovative solutions to meet the needs of disenfranchised households throughout the state. Directly preceding her arrival to PHA, Leah managed the Homeless Initiatives Department for MaineHousing. In this position she supervised, led, and managed their day-to-day operations which provides data management, program monitoring, voucher administration, and oversight of more than 6 million in federal and state funds serving the unhoused population in the State of Maine.
Jonathan Culley

Jonathan Culley

Jonathan is the founder and co-owner of Redfern Properties, a Portland-based multi-family housing developer. Redfern focuses on high-quality, energy efficient infill development. He has been developing housing in Maine since 2006. Jonathan also serves as Chair of the Board of Avesta Housing, Maine’s largest non-profit dedicated to providing affordable housing for people in need. 

A Maine native, Jonathan has both an undergraduate degree and an MBA from Duke University. He lives in Falmouth with his wife and three children. 
Marpheen Chann

Marpheen Chann

Marpheen Chann is an author, writer, thinker, advocate, and speaker on social justice, equity, and inclusion. As a gay, first-generation Asian American born in California to a Cambodian refugee family and later adopted by an evangelical, white working-class family in Maine, Marpheen uses a mix of humor and storytelling to help people view topics such as racism, xenophobia, and homophobia through an intersectional lens.



Marpheen Chann lives in Portland, Maine. He works in the nonprofit and advocacy sector and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine and a law degree from the University of Maine School of Law.

Robert Liscord

Robert Liscord

Rob is a community economic development attorney at Drummond Woodsum with a practice focused on affordable housing development for households with a range of incomes and needs. He represents housing authorities and nonprofit and for-profit developers in the creation of new and the preservation of existing housing across the state of Maine. A dedicated housing advocate, Rob brings over a decade of experience in affordable housing to his work on the QHC Board, including a background in advocating for tenants, managing homeless service programs, and pushing for policy solutions at the Maine state legislature. He is committed to QHC’s work to ensure that Maine’s housing system works for everyone. 

Leadership Team

Victoria Morales

Victoria Morales

Executive Director

Victoria has spent most of her professional life working with under-resourced communities to find practical solutions to shared challenges. Having worked as a State and local government attorney for many years, and a Maine State Legislator, she brings her legal and systems knowledge to QHC's mission every day. Victoria was the recipient of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition's 2022 Elizabeth Mitchell Award, the MaineBiz 2023 Women to Watch Award, and the Maine Association for Public Interest Law 2025 Award from Maine Law. She is proud to serve on the Board of Trustees of Mercy Hospital/Northern Light, the Board of Directors of Youth-LED Justice, and the Cumberland County District Public Health Council.  

Victoria earned her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her law degree from the University of Maine School of Law.