Maine's eviction prevention program has run out of funding — when advocates say it's needed most

February 12, 2026

Published by Maine Public | by Nicole Ogrysko

In Terry Wain's Caribou apartment, there's just enough room for a recliner, a TV and a queen-sized bed beyond the front door. A coat closet serves as storage for him and his wife. The bedroom upstairs is for his teenage son.


"Bedroom-living room combo, open concept," he said, laughing.


The place is small, Wain said, but they're making it work. Wain is disabled and he and his wife rely on federal disability benefits to pay their rent, about $875 a month.


"We were doing fine, up until this all happened to me," he said.



Last fall, Wain said he was home one night watching TV when suddenly, he couldn't breathe. He was taken to the local hospital and then LifeFlighted to Bangor. He eventually returned home, but then it happened again. He was LifeFlighted a second time, underwent triple bypass surgery and spent about a month recovering in the hospital.


His family drove the 170 miles to visit him and sometimes stayed in a nearby motel. He was covered by MaineCare, but it strained the family emotionally and financially.


"It took everything I had, everything everybody had," he said. "So I got behind in my rent."

Read at Maine Public

Portland nonprofit raising money to help immigrant families prevent eviction

January 22, 2026
Published by Portland Press Herald by Hannah LaClaire

Maine can’t wait decades for housing. Funding eviction prevention is vital now.

By Victoria Morales • January 10, 2026
Chip Curry is a state senator representing District 11 and serves as co-chair of the Legislature’s Committee on Housing and Economic Development. Victoria Morales is the executive director of Project Home, a Maine nonprofit working to expand housing stability and prevent homelessness. Maine is currently facing a housing crisis that threatens the very fabric of our communities. While there is a consensus that we must build the 84,000 units of housing needed to stabilize our market, that process is estimated to take 20–30 years. Maine families, seniors, and children living on the brink of displacement cannot wait two decades for a roof over their heads. To prevent a catastrophic surge in homelessness today, Maine must continue to fund and prioritize the Eviction Prevention Program (EPP), a statewide initiative that helps renters avoid eviction and remain stably housed.

40 Under 40: Peace Mutesi is a housing advocate motivated by ‘big and small wins’

October 6, 2025
Peace Mutesi, Director of Economic Opportunity at Quality Housing Coalition, has been named to Mainebiz's 2024 40 Under 40 list. Now in its fourth year, the program recognizes Maine's up-and-coming leaders—the next generation shaping the state and its economy.

New housing report paints dour picture for Portland's poorest renters

June 25, 2025
A new report from Harvard University shows that for the first time, more than half of Portland renters are considered cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. More than half of Portland tenants are struggling to afford rent. According to a new report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, almost 52% of renters in the Portland-South Portland area are “cost-burdened,” meaning they spend at least 30% of their income on housing. And more than 24% are “severely” cost-burdened, meaning that more than half their income goes to housing. It’s a new record for the area but one that affordable housing advocates say is unsurprising, given rent increases that have outpaced wage growth, a competitive buyers market, recently sluggish new construction and an uncertain federal policy environment. The increase distills what advocates, along with policymakers, municipal and state officials and developers have been saying for years: Maine needs to build more housing . Last year, about 45% of Portland-area renters were considered cost-burdened and just under 24% were severely cost-burdened. Maine's increases mirror the national picture. Across the country, 50% of renters are cost-burdened, including 27% of renters who are severely burdened, according to the report. It's the third consecutive record-setting year. "It's just a monstrous problem," said Victoria Morales, executive director of the Quality Housing Coalition.