Article Title: Housing in Maine Updates & Resources during COVID-19

Please be very careful of who you work with or speak to about government checks, IRS taxes, working with a bank on SBA loans, etc. There are many, many scammers out there. If you do not recognize the person on the phone, tell them you will call them back at the company’s main line (found on their website). Be very wary of clicking on links in emails unless you know the person directly.

All decisions are yours to make.  We are only providing information and options for you to choose.  We do recommend you go directly to the source of a program to learn more, even if you talk to one of our advisors or counselors. We will help guide you to the right sources for more information.  

MaineStream Finance is a 20-year old mission-driven, nonprofit home and small business community development lender and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Penquis CAP, with offices in Bangor, Dover-Foxcroft, and Rockland. We are a US Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and are regulated by the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (BCCP) under NMLS for home lending.

Since 1999, MaineStream has served Maine homeowners, homebuyers, consumers, and entrepreneurs in securing the needed advice and financing they need to grow and thrive. We deliver these services through lending, savings products, classes, and 1:1 advisory support. We do not charge fees for our advisory support or counseling; only for our lending and home-buyer classes, do we charge fees and/or interest.

We work with and are supported by SBA and FAME and several local and national banks, particularly Bangor Savings Bank, Bank of America (BOA), Camden National Bank, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, First National Bank, Machias Savings Bank, People’s United Bank, TD Bank, and Wells Fargo.    We promise to make sure you know all of your options and will never steer you to one financial institution over another due to our relationships.  The best place to start for any help is to start with your current financial institution – i.e. who has your bank accounts and credit cards?

At this time, we at MaineStream are offering special COVID-19 related loan product called the business booster loan, particuarly for the self-employed who were not able to access SBA COVID-19 programs, like PPP or EIDL.  

• Housing Counseling: Heather Massow, hmassow@penquis.org, (207) 974-2403 for home-buyer education classes, pre-purchase counseling, foreclosures, evictions, tenant/renter counseling
• Home Loans: Roberta Teeto, rteeto@penquis.org, (207) 973-3624 for home loans, refinance loans
• Penquis Community Action – 973-3500
  • Housing & Energy (home repairs, utilities & fuel assistance)
  • Penquis Housing & Development (rentals)
• Want a quick question answered or link to the right resource? Message us on Facebook @mainestreamfinance / MaineStream Finance. We will be monitoring comments, chat, and the message inbox on our page here M-F 8 AM – 4:30 PM each week!

Have a question about personal finances or your small business during this time? See our resource pages on those topics here:

• Personal Finance issues in Maine during COVID-19
• Small Businesses/Self Employed in Maine updates during COVID-19
• New Mainers & Immigrants in Maine – Resources during COVID-19

Still need help – not sure where to go? Call Maine 211. Maine 211 – COVID-19 Update

• New (Apr 16): There is a lot to unpack from Governor Mills Executive Orders and letters to Protect Housing for Maine People:
  • Evictions are not allowed explicitly in Maine now during the emergency and until the courts reopen – landlords can be jailed for 6 months or fined $1,000 for forcibly evicting someone, including cutting utilities. At wil tenants need a 60-day notice. Here is the official Executive Order on Evictions.
  • A new rental assistance program for $5 million between Maine Housing and 10 Community Action Agencies, including MaineStream’s parent, Penquis, will begin soon – paying $500 for low income tenants to their landlords as long as they agree not to evict for 1 month. MaineHousing has more details.
  • The governor also issued letter to Maine’s banks and credit unions to be flexible and understanding with homeowners and small businesses, particularly landlords, when it comes to delinquencies and defaults. In particular, she asks they refrain from issuing notices to cure and advancing foreclosure procedures. Here is the letter to the Maine Credit Union League and Maine Bankers Association
• Most lenders are either mandated or have stated publicly that they will assist home borrowers. However, in practice, a few lenders are not keeping to the spirit of the assistance. If you are having trouble or just need general help or answers to your questions on housing, contact the MaineStream and Penquis Housing teams (contacts abovr), 211 Maine, or PineTree Legal. There is also a great discussion group for Mainers on Facebook called Maine Coronavirus Community Assistance with almost 20,000 members, where folks discuss housing issues around mortgage help, landlord issues, and unfortunately, folks who are experiencing or may experience homelessness during this trying time.
• Maine’s foreclosure and eviction courts in Maine are closed through May 1. [PLEASE NOTE: it is different if the courts have already issued an eviction or foreclosure notice before they closed and you have not been forced to move out.]
• All HUD, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, USDA and VA Single Family foreclosures are halted up to 4 months  and can be deferred for up to 12 months with no negative reporting to credit reporting agencies.  This is for most mortgages but not all – check with your lender. You can also check the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac websites to see if your loan falls under them. Also check out the “Making Home Affordable” page. FHA/HUD Mortgage Guidance: (per NHRC) Borrowers can get up to a six month forbearance with a chance to renew for six months, no negative credit reporting when in forbearance, and at the end of forbearance they can be considered fora  partial claim.
• For landlords/multi-tenant apartment building owners, if you are financed by FNMA, Freddie Mac, or HUD/FHA, you also can receive a forbearance up to 12 months, but you must promise not to evict tenants.
• The tenant evictions stoppage is only for HUD-owned properties, which are very few in Maine. The legal system (and law enforcement) cannot be involved at this time as the courts are closed (unless the courts already issued an order prior to the crisis and shut-down of the courts). There is no word from the federal government or the State of Maine on a moratorium of evictions – while there are other states and cities who have done so. For now, we don’t have a lot of large rental apartments in Maine, so call your landlord to work something out. They are small business owners, our neighbors, and have families – they will likely understand. Some are pausing rent payments, some are forgiving a few months, some are accepting barter like painting, etc. If the landlord insists on moving forward to eviction, call Pine Tree Legal below or Heather Massow at MaineStream/Penquis above and contact your local city/town office.
• Realtors and banking have been deemed essential services – so they will remain open to keep serving clients.  Home sales and financing are still happening due to the low interest rates and home prices now trending down.

• Summary of Federal Stimulus Package - CARES Act for Housing

  The US Federal CARE act is now passed and is law (summary per NYT): Congress’s $2.2 trillion stabilization package will allocate more than $12 billion in funding for housing and includes the following:

  • Here is what Maine Communities Received:
    • Auburn – $334,985 in CDBG funding
    • Bangor – $498,873 CDBG
    • Biddeford – $276,034 CDBG
    • Lewiston – $538,518 CDBG
    • Portland – $1,137,154 CDBG and $573,734 Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) – short-term and medium term housing assistance
    • Cumberland County – $920,165 CDBG
    • Maine nonentitlement (the rest of the state through DECD): $7,022,416 CDBG and $4,796,255 (ESG)
  • Pingree Announces $16M+ in COVID-19 Grants to Support Housing in Maine
  • $2 billion for rental assistance
  • $685 million for public housing
  • $4 billion in homeless assistance grants that can be used for temporary emergency shelters, such as hotels and motels, and for personal protective equipment.
  • It contains flexible funding for state and local governments, which can be used to address housing needs, such as general assistance.
  • It also has housing assistance for especially vulnerable groups: $50 million for housing for older adults, $15 million for people with disabilities, $65 million for people with AIDS and $300 million for tribal groups. There is also $2.5 million for fair housing enforcement.
  • The bill will impose a temporary moratorium on evictions and foreclosures for homeowners and renters living in federally subsidized apartments and homes with federally backed mortgages for 4 months.
  • Excellent summary from NLIHC: Congressional Leaders Agree to Coronavirus Response Package with Funding for Homelessness and Housing
    • Funding Breakdown for Housing Programs
    • HUD CPD Announces Initial CARES Act CDBG, ESG, and HOPWA Supplemental Formula Allocations (Apr 6)
  • SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION LOANS & NONPROFIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS (NLIHC)

Resources – National and State

• US Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • COVID-19 (“CORONAVIRUS”) INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
  • Press room
  • HUD Announces First of the CARES Act Funding (Apr 3)
  • HUD Secretary Ben Carson answers where housing stands in the pandemic (Apr 14 – podcast)
• National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) – Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition
  • March 23 update video and slides
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) COVID-19 Resources
• Keep Home – Resources for Homeowners during COVID-19 – Framework Homebuyer Education platform
• American Enterprise Inst (AEI) – Housing Center
• Local Housing Solutions – COVID-19 Response Plans
• Joint Center for Housing Studies (Harvard U)
• Just Shelter Community Resources (by state)

Maine

• MaineHousing COVID-19 Updates
  • MaineHousing director: No one should lose their home because of COVID-19
• Maine Affordable Housing Coalition (MAHC)
• Maine Association of Realtors

• General Housing News

  • What if No One Pays Rent? (Apr 8 – Planet Money Podcast – 22 mns)
  • It’s April 1 — here’s what you need to know about paying your rent or mortgage
  • No money for rent or mortgage? Here’s what to do. (Washington Post – March 28)
  • Maine brokers make the best of the virtual real estate world
  • Congress Addresses Housing Crunch Amid Coronavirus Pandemic (March 26 NYT)
  • EMERGENCY MORATORIUM ON UTILITY DISCONNECTION ACTIVITIES [in Maine]
  • Internet, cable companies won’t shut off service to those who can’t pay during outbreak
  • How can we address housing insecurity during the pandemic? (Urban Institute webinar)

• HUD Disaster Resources
• Ready.gov “Build an Emergency Kit”
• American Red Cross Survival Kit Supplies

The new CARES Act / Federal Stimulus package provides $4 billion in additional homeless assistance grants that can be used for temporary emergency shelters, such as hotels and motels, and for personal protective equipment.

State Resources: 

• MaineHousing: Emergency Shelters in Maine
  • Bangor Area Homeless Shelter
• Maine DHHS Bridging Rental Assistance Program (BRAP) for clients with mental illness and susbtance abuse disorders.

National

• Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)
  • COVID 19 – WHAT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROVIDERS NEED TO KNOW
• HUD Exchange Homelessness Community Planning
  • Homeless System Response: Landlord Engagement in the Time of COVID-19
• National Alliance to End Homelessness: Coronavirus and Homelessness
  • COVID-19 Online Learning Series
• US Interagency Council on Homelessness COVID-19 Updates
  • Planning and Preparing – Communities
• CDC Checklist for Homeless Service Providers
• Community-level COVID-19 Homelessness Planning & Response Dashboard (UPenn, BU, UCLA)

• News on Homelessness

  • Pandemic drives planning to revamp shelter system for Maine’s homeless (June 6, PH)
  • Inside Bangor’s heated debate over how to protect its homeless in an outbreak (May 26, BDN)
  • As tourists return, shelter could be harder to find for homeless Mainers (May 18, BDN)
  • Hope House opens temporary homeless shelter amid debate about how many beds Bangor needs (Apr 17)
  • Pandemic intensifies daily emergencies for Bangor’s homeless, who endure snow and wind (Apr 17)
  • How the Pine Street Inn feeds Boston’s frightened homeless
  • Citing ‘chaos,’ Portland closes homeless shelter to new people amid coronavirus outbreak
  • Bangor pastor calls on churches to open their doors as homeless shelters restrict access
  • How Programs Addressing Homelessness Can Prepare for the Coronavirus

If you are having issues with a landlord or a lender, there is help.  You can call the Penquis Housing Counseling team (details above).  We will help you through these issues and work with your landlord or lender.  Please note we are not lawyers, however.  It is best to contact your own lawyer or a free service like Pine Tree Legal  – see resources below.  Sometimes your local town or city’s code office can also step in as you do have rights.  We have been given guidance that if you were delinquent, in default, or in foreclosure, creditors cannot attach liens on your federal stimulus payment (the $1,200 or so).

While all courts are currently closed and evictions and foreclosures will not move forward, it is different if the courts have already issued an eviction or foreclosure notice before they closed and you have not been forced to move out.

Here are some other resources: 

• State of Maine Human Rights Commission
• Maine Attorney General – Complaints
  • State program to resolve consumer complaints on hold for pandemic (May 26, PH)
• Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (BCCP)
• List of States and Cities that have taken actions against evictions and foreclosures (Excel – Google Doc) – University of Columbia Law School and University of Pennsylvania Law School (can sort by state).
• National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) COVID-19 Resource Center – “Major Consumer Protections Announced in Response to COVID-19”
• State of Maine Landlords and Tenants Law
• Free Legal Services
  • Maine Free Legal Answers – American Bar Assoc. 
  • Help ME Law – Free Legal Services
  • Justice Maine – COVID-19 Updates-legal aid providers in Maine
  • Legal Aid Services in Maine (for housing – look at the “debtor”, “foreclosure”, or “eviction” columns)
  • Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA)
    • Eviction and Rental FAQ

All courts (foreclosure and eviction) are closed until May 30:

• May 5 Pandemic Management Order – jury trials extended through June 30 – some activities can be done over video. Effective immediately, and continuing through May 30, 2020, unless otherwise ordered by the court, the following case types and proceedings will NOT be scheduled or heard:
  • FED (eviction, landlord/tenant) except requests for Writ of Possession as provided by the Governor’s Executive Order Number 40, dated April 16, 2020
  • Disclosures
  • Foreclosures
  • Small Claims
• State of Maine Judicial Branch Revised Emergency Order and Notice from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court Courthouse Safety and Coronavirus (COVID-19) (closure of all tenant evictions and foreclosure courts through May 1)
• STATE OF MAINE JUDICIAL BRANCH – COVID-19 Phased Management Plan (May 27)
  • Maine courts won’t resume full operations until September (May 30, BDN) Beginning next week, courthouses across the state may open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but all proceedings will still be conducted remotely.

• Property Taxes

  • AN ORDER REGARDING CERTAIN MUNICIPAL AND TAXATION MATTERS – May 12 – In sum, towns may choose due dates and interest accrual dates for property taxes that were/are committed in 2019 and 2020. Towns may also choose to delay sending the 30-day pre-lien notice and delay filing the lien until after the state emergency terminates.

• Legal Issues - News and Other Resources

  • Legal aid organizations expect pandemic to increase demand in Maine (May 18, PH)

Disclosure: MaineStream Finance is a home mortgage lender and NMLS licensed (#987271). We typically serve those who are told ‘no’ by banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies. Our loans are held by us; this means they are not sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and are not FHA, USDA or VA.  But we will still work with you if you have a hardship if you are a borrower of ours.  For new borrowers, if you work with Penquis housing counselors, we will make sure you are told of all the options – and if you can go with a conventional loan with a bank, credit union, or mortgage company – you 100% should.

For all FHA/HUD loans, borrowers can get up to a six month forbearance with a chance to renew for six months, no negative credit reporting when in forbearance, and at the end of forbearance they can be considered for a  partial claim (NHRC).

All HUD, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, USDA and VA Single Family foreclosures are halted up to 4 months  and can be deferred for up to 12 months with no negative reporting to credit reporting agencies).  This is for most mortgages but not all – check with your lender. You can also check the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac websites to see if your loan falls under them. Also check out the “Making Home Affordable” page.

Most national banks and our local banks and credit union are complying with the new rules both in full compliance and in the spirit of the law.  Some larger banks are are automatically putting borrowers into automatic deferments of 90 days without communicating to them and not allowing them to keep paying if they want to (which they should if they can because interest keeps accruing and everything still has to be paid back) – which is a problem.  We are also having some trouble with a few national and regional mortgage companies only and national loan servicers, like Freedom Mortgage (see Yelp reviews here and NPR piece here) that are complying to the letter of the law but not the spirit.  They are allowing forbearances/deferrals like the law says but they are requiring a full “balloon” payment at the end of the forbearance period that you must pay after 6 or 12 months or you are in default and may go into foreclosure.  This means that if you defer for 6 months and your monthly loan payment is $1,000 per month – you will owe the full $6,000 (plus additional interest) at the end of the 6 months.  Who has that kind of cash laying around right now?  Please make sure you fully understand how the months you don’t pay now will be paid back later – ideally they would be added to the very end of your mortgage “amortization” period and extended (and your monthly payment amount stays the same).  If you are not sure or in a situation in which your mortgage company is insisting on a full balloon payment right after the forbearance period, call Penquis – Heather Massow above or Pine Tree Legal.

Realtors and banking have been deemed essential services – so they will remain open to keep serving clients.  Home sales and financing are still happening due to the low interest rates and home prices now trending down.

Here are some general resources at the National and State Level:

National

• Mortgage and housing assistance during the coronavirus national emergency – CFPB – HUD – FHFA
  • Get answers to your mortgage questions
• US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) – Guide to coronavirus mortgage relief options
  • • CFPB Web message (4 mns): CARES Act Mortgage Forbearance: What You Need to Know— consumerfinance.gov
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – Consumer Information – Trouble Paying Your Mortgage?
• Making Home Affordable – Mortgage Assistance US Treasury, FHFA, HUD
• Directory of Servicer Contacts (NHRC)- Banks and Mortgage Companies – who to contact if you have issues or need to ask for a forbearance.
• Urban Inst: CARES Act – What Homeowners Should Know
  • Homeowners’ Guide to Mortgage Solutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic (June)
• Mortgage Banker’s Association (MBA) – National – COVID-19 Resources
  • We’re Here to Help – how to work with your lender
• Forbes Up-to-Date Mortgage Relief Tracker: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Relief For Homeowners (mostly large national and regional banks)
  • Up-to-Date List Of [National and Regional] Banks Offering Relief To Customers Affected By Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Maine

• Maine Association of Mortgage Professionals (MAMP – Facebook Page)

• FHA Loans - US Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Federal Housing Authority (FHA) loans

  • June 17: FHA EXTENDS FORECLOSURE AND EVICTION MORATORIUM FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS FOR ADDITIONAL TWO MONTHS
    Through August 31, 2020
  • Mortgagee Letter 2020-13: Extension of [HUD] Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium in connection with the Presidentially-Declared COVID-19 National Emergency and New Reporting Requirements Related to FHA Single Family’s CARES Act Loss Mitigation Options [through June 30, 2020]
  • April 1 guidance for FHA Loans (per NHRC: Borrowers can get up to a six month forbearance with a chance to renew for six months, no negative credit reporting when in forbearance, and at the end of forbearance they can be considered fora  partial claim.)
  • COVID-19 Resources – Mortgagee Letter Library
  • HUD PROVIDES IMMEDIATE RELIEF FOR HOMEOWNERS
  • Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Single Family Housing FAQs
    • FHA Foreclosure Moratorium
  • Temporary, Partial Waiver of Servicing Responsibilities, Contact with the Mortgagor
  • FHA Single Family Page
  • Single Family Housing Policy Handbook
  • Loss Mitigation Services for FHA Homeowners

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Loans - Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA)

  Most loans with a bank or mortgage company are a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan (over 90% of loans). Some credit union loans as well but credit unions often hold their loans in-house and do not sell them to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

  • Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) (regulator of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac)
    • June 17: FHFA Extends Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium through Aug 31 
    • FHFA Announces Refinance and Home Purchase Eligibility for Borrowers in Forbearance (May 19) – refinancing allowed 3 months after forbearance.
    • FHFA Extends Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium (May 14) – thru June 30
    • FHFA Announces Payment Deferral as New Repayment Option for Homeowners in COVID-19 Forbearance Plans (May 13) – The payment deferral option allows borrowers, who are able to return to making their normal monthly mortgage payment, the ability to repay their missed payments at the time the home is sold, refinanced, or at maturity – starts July 1.
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC ASSISTANCE OPTIONS FOR FAMILIES IMPACTED BY COVID-19
  • FHFA Suspends Foreclosures and Evictions for Enterprise-Backed Mortgages
  • Fannie Mae (FNMA) Approach to COVID-19
    • Lender Letter LL2020-07 COVID-19 Payment Deferral (May 13)
    • Lender Letter LL-2020-2  – Impact of COVID-19 on Servicing (May 14)
    • Help for Borrowers
    • April 8 FAQ
  • Freddie Mac COVID-19 Response
    • COVID-19 Servicing: Guidance for Helping Impacted Borrowers (May 14)
    • #HelpStartsHere – Sustaining Homeownerships in a Crisis – Interactive Guide for Homeowners
    • TEMPORARY SERVICING GUIDANCE RELATED TO COVID-19 (May 14) – Servicers must suspend all foreclosure actions, including foreclosure sales, through June 30, 2020
    •  COVID-19 Resources
    • COVID-19 Servicing-related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
    • Temporary Servicing Guidance Related to COVID-19
    • Extending Help to Homeowners Impacted by COVID-19
  • Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Boston

• USDA Home Loans - US Department of Agriculture - Rural Development

  • US Dept of Agriculture (USDA)
  • April 8 – USDA Implements Immediate Measures to Help Rural Residents, Businesses and Communities Affected by COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Updates“…USDA’s Rural Development has placed a foreclosure and eviction moratorium on all USDA Single Family Housing Direct (SFHD) loans for 60 days effective 3/19/2020.”
  • Single Family Housing Programs
  • Disaster Resource Center
  • Maine Rural Development (RD) Office (Bangor)

  Updates/News

  • Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium extended to Aug 31 (as of June 19)
  • Foreclosure Moratorium Extension and Additional Guidance for Servicing Loans Impacted by COVID-19 (thru June 30) – May 14

• VA Home Loans - US Department of Veteran's Affairs

  • US Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) – crisis line
  • Home Loans
  • Foreclosure Moratorium for Borrowers Affected by COVID19
  • Guidance on Natural Disasters

  Updates/News

  • Extended Foreclosure Moratorium for Borrowers Affected by COVID-19 (thru June 30) – May 14

• Mortgage Loans - News and Other Resources

  • What you need to know about paying your June rent or mortgage – Washington Post, May 31
  • Here’s how to help homeowners with forbearance questions (May 20, HW)
  • Is mortgage forbearance an option? Here’s what to know (May 20, PH)
  • More US homeowners skip mortgage payments with jobs vanishing (Apr 17 – Boston Globe) – 3 million borrowers or just over 5% of borrowers so far
  • Homeowners Say Some Lenders Are Offering Relief With A Side Of Retribution
  • Mortgage help is available during the coronavirus pandemic, but what’s offered can vary—here’s what you need to know
  • Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac instruct servicers to offer 12-month moratoriums on mortgage payments if borrowers suffer hardship (CNBC, per Mtg Banker’s Assoc, 3/23/20)
  • Potential wave of mortgage delinquencies could bankrupt the payment system
  • Here’s exactly what banks are offering to do to help Americans affected by coronavirus
  • Federal government to allow mortgage payment deferral for up to a year
  • Bank of America will allow borrowers to pause their mortgage payments
  • Consumers Face a Massive Credit Crunch. Lenders Are Still Figuring Out What to Do.
  • Mortgage Lenders Consider Plan to Suspend Payments Amid Crisis
  • What Cities Are Doing to Stall Evictions and Foreclosures

In the new CARES Act/Federal Stimulus, there is $2 billion for rental assistance in additional funding. It also contains flexible funding for state and local governments, which can be used to address housing needs, such as general assistance. It also provides housing assistance for especially vulnerable groups: $50 million for housing for older adults, $15 million for people with disabilities, $65 million for people with AIDS and $300 million for tribal groups. There is also $2.5 million for fair housing enforcement.

National Resources

• HUD COVID-19 FAQs for the Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) (including the Project-based Voucher Program (PBV)) and Native American Programs
  • Multifamily Updated COVID-19 Guidance – April 7, 2020
  • HUD ALLOCATES SECOND WAVE OF RELIEF FUNDS, OVER HALF A BILLION DOLLARS TO HELP PROTECT
    LOW-INCOME AMERICANS (in public housing)
  • HUD INCREASES AND EXPANDS FLEXIBILITY OF FUNDS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING
    AUTHORITIES TO FIGHT COVID-19 – May 5 (supplemental admin fee funding)
• USDA Multi-Family Housing Programs
• National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC) COVID-19 Resources for Senior Centers

• Affordable Rental Housing Providers in Maine

  • Avesta Housing (Southern Maine)
  • Penquis Housing & Development (Eastern and Central Maine)

• Maine Public Housing Authorities

  • Maine Association of Public Housing Directors
  • Penobscot Nation Housing
  • Bangor Housing
  • Brewer Housing
  • Old Town Housing

• Public Housing - News and Other Resources

  • Community Development Tax Incentives Poised to Help Spur COVID-19 Recovery (LIHTEC discussion – Novogradac, May 1)
  • Maine agencies awarded $2.5 million to fight outbreaks in public housing (May 6, Portland Herald)
  • Nonprofit Housing Providers Face Down COVID-19 (Apr 27, Shelterforce)
  • Old Town community leaders, firefighters help city’s most vulnerable (Apr 24 BDN)
  • Affordable Housing Owners Work to Meet the Needs of Seniors During COVID-19
  • Maine tribal communities get housing boost with coronavirus emergency package
  • Affordable Housing Providers and the Coronavirus
    • Coronavirus Information for Affordable Housing

The tenant evictions moratorium is only for HUD-owned properties, which are very few in Maine. The legal system (and law enforcement) cannot be involved at this time as the courts are closed (unless the courts already issued an order prior to the crisis and shut-down of the courts). There is no word from the federal government or the State of Maine on a moratorium of evictions – while there are other states and cities who have done so. For now, we don’t have a lot of large rental apartments in Maine, so call your landlord to work something out. They are small business owners, our neighbors, and have families – they will likely understand. Some are pausing rent payments, some are forgiving a few months, some are accepting barter like painting, etc. If the landlord insists on moving forward to eviction, call Pine Tree Legal below or Heather Massow at MaineStream/Penquis above and contact your local city/town office.

For landlords/multi-tenant apartment building owners, if you are financed by FNMA, Freddie Mac, or HUD/FHA, you also can receive a forbearance up to 12 months, but you must promise not to evict tenants.

[accordion-item title=”Maine“][/accordion-item]

There is a lot to unpack from Governor Mills Executive Orders and letters to Protect Housing for Maine People on April 16:

• Evictions are not allowed explicitly in Maine now during the emergency and until the courts reopen – landlords can be jailed for 6 months or fined $1,000 for forcibly evicting someone, including cutting utilities. At will tenants need a 60-day notice. Here is the official Executive Order on Evictions
• A new rental assistance program for $5 million between Maine Housing and 10 Community Action Agencies, including MaineStream’s parent, Penquis, will begin soon – paying $500 for low income tenants to their landlords as long as they agree not to evict for 1 month. MaineHousing has more details but essentially it is a 1 time payment of $500 to landlord if agree not to evict for one month (go through local community action agency)
  • UPDATE: Governor Mills & MaineHousing Extend Rent Relief Program (June 4)
  • Application
  • FAQs
  • Community Action Contacts (Penquis, MaineStream’s parent is part of this.)
  • Waldo Community Action partners to administer rent relief program for people affected by COVID-19 in Waldo County (and 9 other community action agencies)-Apr 16
  • Janet Mills pauses some evictions, creates relief fund as virus makes it harder to pay rent

[accordion-item title=”National“][/accordion-item]

• CFPB Protections for Renters
• HUD COVID-19 Resources and Fact Sheets – Multi-tenant
  • HUD CDBG Eviction Moratorium FAQ (May 18, 2020)
  • HOME CARES Act Eviction Moratorium – Sample Letter to Owners and Sample Tenant Flyer
  • Housing Trust Fund CARES Act Eviction Moratorium FAQs
• National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) tracking tool on Federal Eviction Moratoriums
  • NLIHC Tenant Talk Case Studies
• Patriot Act – We want to help you not get kicked out!  Tool to check if your building qualifies on eviction moratorium.
• National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) – Impacts by COVID-19
  • NMHC Rent Payment Tracker – The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) found a 12-percentage point decrease in the share of apartment households that paid rent through April 5…69 percent…paid their rent by April 5; this compares to 81 percent that had paid by March 5, 2020…” (will be updated regularly – April 8)
• National Apartment Association (NAA)
• National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) COVD-19 Resource Center – list of states that have taken action against evictions – scroll down to “State Limitations on Foreclosures and Evictions.”
• Eviction Lab – State COVID-19 HOUSING POLICY SCORECARD
  • Maine 
• Augrented Blog – TENANT RIGHTS, SAFE HOUSING AND RENTAL TRANSPARENCY – 
  Tenant protection during the novel coronavirus outbreak – US-wide (“Augrented is auto-magical protection from bad landlords. We use machine learning and public data to tell you if an apartment building is at risk of maintenance issues, before you move in [in NYC or SF].”
• National Fair Housing COVID-19 Resources
• Mortgage Banker’s Assoc. Commercial/Multifamily-Specific Coronavirus Resources
• FHFA (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac)
  • June 17: FHFA Extends Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium through Aug 31 
  • SUPPORT FOR RENTERS: FANNIE MAE DISASTER RECOVERY NETWORK (must be in FNMA/Fannie Mae financed housing – contact property owner – usually large, multi-tenant apartment buildings)
  • call 877.542.9723
  • Is my apartment building financed by Freddie Mac?
  • Fannie Mae Renters Resource Finder
• COVID-19 And Eviction: Government Action Uneven Across The Country (on foreclosures and evictions (updated regularly – Forbes)
• Cities and States that have Paused Evictions Due to COVID-19 – Fool.com
• Urban Inst: CARES Act – What Renters Should Know

• Renting - Tenants and Landlords - News and Other Resources

  • Pandemic protections make it hard for Maine landlords to evict problem tenants (June 8, BDN)
  • What you need to know about paying your June rent or mortgage – Washington Post, May 31
  • Boston area’s apartment-rental market stuck in limbo (May 31, BG)
  • What Can We Learn from New State and Local Assistance Programs for Renters Affected by COVID-19? (Urban Inst., May 6) study on responses of 43 rental assistance programs.
  • Portland will use emergency federal grants for housing assistance (PH, May 18)
  • COVID-19 Pandemic Raises Eviction Concerns
  • Despite Federal Ban, Landlords Are Still Moving to Evict People During the Pandemic (Pro Publica – Apr 16)
  • The Pandemic Shines a Light on Property Managers
  • Tenants and landlords need relief during coronavirus pandemic (Apr 14, BDN)
  • Evictions and foreclosures increase coronavirus risks. A rent and mortgage freeze will protect us. (MCEP – April 7)
  • Janet Mills considering executive order preventing evictions during pandemic (April 7)
  • Rent strike idea gaining steam during coronavirus crisis
  • Renters: How to Get COVID-19 Rent Relief
  • Federal Government Moves to Protect Apartment Owners, Tenants
  • Can landlords restrict building access during the COVID-19 crisis?
  • Portland mayor asks landlords to halt evictions and rent increases
  • Worried about being evicted? An expert shares what Mainers should know
  • [Maine] Landlord says he won’t collect rent because of coronavirus outbreak, urges others to do the same
  • What Landlords Are Saying About Rent and Evictions During the Outbreak
  • Augusta tenants fear homelessness after threat of eviction on a week’s notice
  • What Cities Are Doing to Stall Evictions and Foreclosures
  • What Tenants Need to Know in the Age of Coronavirus (March 14, Bklyner)