Having trouble viewing this email?? [ [link removed] ]View it as a Web page [ [link removed] ].




Rep. Poirier


*LISTEN HERE [ [link removed] ]*



Watch Here [ [link removed] ]
WATCH HERE ON FACEBOOK


*Maine?s housing situation changed drastically in 5 years*

?

"Generous welfare benefits and the Governor?s call for 75,000 ?new Mainers? have fueled the crisis "

?

This is Representative Jennifer Poirier of Skowhegan with the Weekly Republican Address.?

In 2019, before Governor Mills? pandemic lockdown, housing was affordable and home ownership was within reach of the average working family.

A young couple with decent jobs could afford rent or purchase a home in Maine.

That has rapidly changed. Experts now say that buying a home in Maine is the hardest it has ever been. [ [link removed] ] Between now and 2030, the Maine State Housing Authority estimates the state will need more than 80,000 homes to meet the current shortage and estimated growth of people coming to Maine.

Consider how the problem grows bigger with each passing day.

In April 2019, the median sales price of a Maine home was 218,700. It now stands at $389,900. [ [link removed] ]

The Maine Development Foundation?s 2023 Measures of Growth report asserts that the cost of a median-priced home rose to 62% in 2021, and then 72% in 2022.? [ [link removed] ]

Maine?s has the 16th highest rent among the 50 states. [ [link removed] ]?The average fair market rent for a Maine residential rental property is $1,477, compared to the?national average rent [ [link removed] ]?of $1,274.

At the same time, despite major increases to the minimum wage, income growth has failed to keep up with inflation, with a declining middle class going deeper into debt and struggling to keep up. [ [link removed] ]

Maine is being transformed into state that only wealthy people or welfare recipients can afford to live in.

The U.S. has had a shrinking middle class since the 1970?s, but the problem in Maine appears to be far worse.

Just this week, a WalletHub report [ [link removed] ] found that Maine has the second lowest median annual household income, followed only by West Virginia.

Repeatedly, legislative Republicans have offered proposals to lower energy costs and allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money to help with the runaway cost of living experienced by Mainers.

Democrats continue to reject them in favor of more spending on their priorities.

We cannot pretend that the unprecedented influx of migrants coming to Maine is not a major contributor to the housing problem. The migrants being shipped from the southern border have no visible means of support and cannot work. ??

This massive influx is part of the Governor?s goal of bringing 75,000 ?new Mainers? to Maine.

Toward that end, Democrats and Governor Mills recently established an Office of ?New Americans.?

Problems are growing in communities throughout Maine.

According to a Westbrook city official, "new Mainers" receive between 90 and 95 percent of the city?s welfare benefits [ [link removed] ]. General assistance was designed to meet the basic needs of community residents, not accommodate large numbers of people shipped here from the southern border.? ?

The City of Sanford?s general assistance budget averaged $170,000 through 2020. City officials estimate that it will has exceed 1 million dollars in 2024 [ [link removed] ], with new Mainers responsible for all of the increase. ?

Back in March, Republicans alerted the press and public to the fact that:


* Taxpayers spent over $34 million to house approximately 2,200 asylum seekers; 63% of the entire Emergency Housing Relief Fund
* Taxpayers spent $56,000 per unit on transitional housing for migrants?
* Taxpayers spend $1.2 million dollars on legal assistance for federal asylum claims, only 15% of which will ultimately be granted
* Taxpayers spent $13.9 million dollars on one hotel that houses up to 80 families
* Taxpayer money is being used to build _new_, _rent-free_ luxury apartments in Brunswick

Since that time, Democrats passed a party-line budget that diverted even more money away from pressing problems and toward housing for ?new Mainers.?

Why are Democrats focused on attracting up 75,000 new migrants to Maine when 80,000 housing units are needed to meet current needs?

According to one report, most of the people served by Portland?s Oxford Street Homeless Shelter are homeless people from out-of-state, predominantly from California [ [link removed] ].

Republicans continue to offer proposals that tie work, education, community service, or disability to the receipt of welfare benefits.

We respect people that spent years following the rules and earning citizenship in order to be part of the American dream.?

U.S. citizens need to be our top priority if Maine is to have any future.?

Attracting new welfare recipients to Maine at taxpayer expense is making our housing crisis even worse.

This has been Representative Jennifer Poirier with the Weekly Republican Radio Address.

I?d like to thank you for listening, subscribing, sharing and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

###

________________________________________________________________________



________________________________________________________________________



Rep. Poirier [ [link removed] ]
Representative Jennifer Poirier

of Skowhegan is currently serving her second term representing House District 70, which is the town of Skowhegan.? She serves on the 131st?Legislature?s Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary as the Ranking Member.?

Rep. Poirier studied Business Management at Thomas College.? She is a Community Living Coordinator for adults with intellectual disabilities. She served on the MSAD 54 school board for 12 years. She has been deeply involved in her community for over 25 years. Many constituents may know her from organizing many fundraisers for the animal shelter and food cupboard.

Jen and her husband, Sean, have seven sons.? In her spare time, Jen enjoys being outdoors, fly fishing, hunting, hiking, kayaking, going to camp, and enjoying time with her friends, family, and pets.





State of Maine Seal [ [link removed] ]

*? Distributed by the House Republican Office?*
*? 2 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0002*
*? Office: (207) 287-1440*






________________________________________________________________________

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ [link removed] ]. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com [ [link removed] ].

This service is provided to you at no charge by Maine House Republican Office. [ [link removed] ]

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud, on behalf of: Maine House Republican Office ? Room 332, State House, 2 State House Station ? Augusta, ME 04333-0002 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]