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Gov. Janet Mills proposes $300 relief checks, housing pilots and permanent free community college
Summary
In a brief gubernatorial address, Gov. Janet Mills proposed $300 affordability relief checks drawn from the state's rainy day fund, two pilot housing programs she said would add new homes, and making free community college permanent; she also proposed increased rural rental funding to leverage federal matching dollars.
Governor Janet Mills outlined a package of affordability measures in a brief address, proposing $300 relief checks for Maine residents, new housing pilot programs and making free community college permanent.
Mills said "one of the biggest obstacles for many people today" is "the high cost of living," citing health care, housing, utilities, vehicle repairs, groceries and life-saving medicines as areas where prices are straining families. "I'm proposing that we help Maine people breathe a little easier by sending them an affordability relief check for $300 each drawn from our record high rainy day fund," she said.
The relief checks are intended as immediate, targeted help for households facing rising costs. Mills noted that the state has issued similar relief checks in recent years with bipartisan legislative support.
On housing, Mills proposed two pilot programs intended to expand supply for middle-class families. In the address she said the pilots were "backed by 17 to build 530 new homes and apartments for middle class families," and separately said "all told, those measures alone will result in a 125 new homes all across Maine." The transcript contains both figures; it is not clear from the address which number reflects the final projected total.
Mills also proposed increasing investment in the state's rural rental program by "52 and a half million dollars," which she said would trigger "at least $15,000,000 in federal matching funds." Those funds are presented as a way to leverage state dollars to increase housing resources.
On postsecondary education, Mills proposed making Maine's free community college program permanent so the cost of two years of community college "will not increase." She said more than 23,000 students have already taken advantage of the program. As an example of the program's impact, Mills described Tori Weil of Gray, who earned a degree in building construction technology through the program and "recently helped to build a new electrical lab."
Mills summarized the three priorities—relief checks, housing construction and making community college permanent—as measures intended to provide both immediate and long-term cost relief. She also cited full funding for the state's share of education and continued revenue sharing with towns as steps to reduce property tax burdens and support local services.
Mills identified these proposals in her state of the state address earlier this week and closed the remarks by thanking listeners.
