History
Organized by Community Housing of Maine and the Center for Community Inclusion, the initial focus was on finding ways to improve the quality of services to this population. A common thread for parents was that of the money billed to Medicaid for services, the vast majority appeared to be going into service provider organization overhead, and only entry level wages were devoted to actual service providers. These wages seemed to be creating secondary problems with care givers with lack of experience and/or skills, and rapid, unpredictable turnover as workers abruptly left to pursue jobs paying slightly higher wages. That left abandonment patterns for recipient of services, and scheduling and logistical nightmares for parents.
Parents, advocates, and service providers attended the first two meetings in May and June 2006, designed to explore perhaps more efficient alternatives in service provision, including Micro-Boards and High Fidelity Wraparound Services, client-centered models of service delivery. However, despite agendas focused on finding more new service delivery models, passionate discussion about an urgent need for housing dominated each meeting. Improving service provision clearly resonated with the group, but more pressing to the parents involved was concern about special needs housing. Now with a renewed focus, the Coalition formulated strategies to elicit special needs housing resources in October 2006. The purpose was to create a mechanism for developing supported housing for people with disabilities, with service quality improvement a secondary priority. The group analyzed the current housing climate for transitioning youth and adults with disabilities, and then set out to address the utter lack of funding for special needs housing in Maine. The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality services has met monthly ever since, and a series of actions by the Coalition (outlined below) has resulted in positive change:
Parents, advocates, and service providers attended the first two meetings in May and June 2006, designed to explore perhaps more efficient alternatives in service provision, including Micro-Boards and High Fidelity Wraparound Services, client-centered models of service delivery. However, despite agendas focused on finding more new service delivery models, passionate discussion about an urgent need for housing dominated each meeting. Improving service provision clearly resonated with the group, but more pressing to the parents involved was concern about special needs housing. Now with a renewed focus, the Coalition formulated strategies to elicit special needs housing resources in October 2006. The purpose was to create a mechanism for developing supported housing for people with disabilities, with service quality improvement a secondary priority. The group analyzed the current housing climate for transitioning youth and adults with disabilities, and then set out to address the utter lack of funding for special needs housing in Maine. The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality services has met monthly ever since, and a series of actions by the Coalition (outlined below) has resulted in positive change:
Action to Ensure a Supportive Housing Allocation: In November 2006, the Coalition began a letter writing campaign directed at the Maine State Housing Authority (MaineHousing) to urge that a portion of funds be allocated from the State Home Fund for this purpose. This would be in keeping with the historic pattern of funding allocations where various special needs populations including homeless were the focus, but different than previous two years where the entirety of the diminished resources had been devoted to housing for homeless populations.
The letter writing campaign initiated at that meeting continued through late 2006, and excitement about this ultimately fueled broader communication through a disjointed network of advocacy groups via various list-serves throughout the state. Soon, some 4000 parents, service providers, and advocates became involved in this advocacy effort and the letters began to pile up at Maine Housing. A significant volume of letters was received by MaineHousing leading them to include a $1 million allocation for non-homeless supportive housing for FY 07.
Action for Fully Restoring the HOME Fund: Energy continued and the group decided to pursue broader strategies aimed at ensuring resources were available for supportive housing creation for people with special needs. The group confirmed their prioritization of housing first and service quality improvement second. A strategy of a letter writing campaign to the Governor was devised after it was understood that the source of State Home funding, the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), originally designed to allocate funding to affordable housing through the HOME Fund (Housing Opportunities for Maine), had been moved to fill general fund gaps by the Governor since early in his term. The Governor had made commitments to a variety of groups about fully restoring this fund, and the Coalition decided to urge that he did exactly that. This letter writing campaign began in December and led to a flurry of emailed letters. Community Housing of Maine dovetailed this effort with advocates and service providers for homeless populations to increase the volume of letters received by the Governor, and other organizations were active in a similar pursuit. In early January 2007, the Governor announced his new budget which included full restoration of $7.5 million to the HOME Fund. This was a significant victory in round one, but the Legislature would still need to enact the budget, and the Coalition began conducting a letter writing campaign to educate individual Legislators about the importance of restoring the HOME Fund. The Coalition had representatives testify in committee hearings about the importance of restoring this fund. Members also had meetings and personal communication with individual Representatives to provide personal accounts about the importance of supportive housing for their family situation. Finally, toward the end of the Legislative session, messages were sent in the form of brief emails to Legislators asking for leadership on this issue. Later in the spring of 07, in an atmosphere where nearly everything was cut, the Legislature voted to reduce their raid on the HOME Fund by $2.5M in FY08 and $2.9M in FY09 creating a notable increase in funds at a time of funding decreases everywhere else.
Action for Educating DHHS and MaineHousing about the importance of a variety of supportive housing models: In response to the letters to the Governor, in August of 07, the DHHS Commissioner wrote letters to all participating members of the Coalition and set up a series of 6 meetings around the state to open a dialogue about supportive housing. Representatives of the Coalition attended these meetings and called for funding for supportive housing and a variety of models to support the individual needs of people with developmental and other disabilities. Those present also called for continued dialogue toward this end, establishing a pattern for improved direct communication between all parties. Partly as a result, DHHS committed to participating in the Coalition.
Action for addressing Emergency Rule change affecting services to people with Autism: In the fall of 2007, members of the Coalition participated in Public Comment with DHHS about an abrupt Emergency Rule change reducing services to certain individuals with Autism. Participants delivered testimony directly and by electronic communication voicing concerns about the change.
Action for the National Housing Trust Fund: In December of 2007, members of the Coalition emailed Senators Snowe and Collins urging that they become original co-sponsors of this critical legislation which passed the House in October 2007. The National Housing Trust Fund bill will establish dedicated sources of funding for the production, preservation and rehabilitation of 1.5 million affordable homes in 10 years. At least 75% of the funds will be for housing for households that have extremely low incomes. This will be the first real injection of funds targeting affordable housing for very low income populations since 1974. It is conservatively estimated that when passed, this bill will bring $10M into Maine in the first year alone. In response to grassroots support in Maine, Senator Snowe became the lead sponsor along with Senator Kerry of Massachusetts, and Senator Collins was the second original co-sponsor (of 6 tri-partisan co-sponsors of this bill), which was then introduced in the Senate on 12/19/07. Both offices said they had more contact urging their leadership on this than any other bill they could recall.
Action for addressing MaineCare Section 21 Waiver Concerns: In 2007, a number of Coalition members held a series of meetings with DHHS officials to have concerns addressed and questions answered about recent Medicaid changes affecting housing, services, and support for employment. These meetings opened a dialogue with constructive and direct two-way communication around this evolving program. Both parents and officials with DHHS were pleased with the input and improved understanding by all. Renewed action is taking place in the fall of 2008 as the program faces significant cuts.
Action to preserve the Safety Net for Maine's most Vulnerable Citizens: In late 2008 and early 2009, the Coalition pursued a major letter writing campaign with the Governor and members of the Legislature to ensure that any budget cuts shall not remove, damage, or undermine the Safety Net of emergency shelter, food, support services, and supportive housing for Maine's most vulnerable citizens including people with developmental disabilities. The goal was to have public announcements by public officials vowing to not make such cuts.
Housing Revenue Bond In 2008 and 2009, the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition began an effort to create a Housing Revenue Bond called The Campaign for Economic Development, Energy Efficiency, and Affordable Housing. The Coalition for Housing and Quality Services joined a large group of supporters in this effort, and reached out to Legislators. This bond effort was a major success: The Legislature passed a $30M affordable housing bond with the Senate voting 26-7 after the House voted 137-0 to pass it. The Governor signed it on June 12, 2009. A last minute effort to have some funds come from the HOME Fund was defeated, in part from the Legislators knowledge about the importance of the HOME fund from the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services in concert with others. All funds for this bond will come from the General Fund portion of the Real Estate Transfer Tax, as we wished. MaineHousing is authorized to put out the bonds to be repaid beginning in the next biennium. Although not binding, the bill calls for MaineHousing to distribute 10% towards supportive housing.
Action to devise and implement an efficient and effective DD Lifelong Continuum of Care – In late 2009 and 2010 the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services initiated a parent-led project to redesign, from the ground up, a system of care for persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities. This began with a visual and conceptual diagram, evolved to a narrative, a structural design for implementation, goals and action steps to achieve them, and notes about what parents specifically don’t want to repeat from the current system of care.
Action to extend Federal Medicaid Assistance (FMAP) - In the week of 08/01/2010, the Senate voted on the extension of Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP). There was a temporary increase in the match $3 to $1 and this was due to expire on December 31st. If this funding were not extended, Maine would have faced $100M hole in the budget this year, $30M of which would have come out of DHHS; curtailment and cuts were lined up to begin in two months. Maine came close to seeing the system of care dismantled in 2009. Along with others, the Coalition fought hard and kept that from happening. Our collective voices were heard by our Senators who were the only Republicans to vote in favor of a further extension of FMAP. It was then voted favorably through by the House the following week. Our Senators voted for this despite strong pressure from the Republican Party, and they deserve many thanks for their courage and leadership!
Action to join the campaign to secure Housing Choice Voucher Program – In November 2010, the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services elected to join the statewide campaign urging the Obama administration to reestablish the Federal commitment to increase the supply Section 8 Housing Vouchers. This is a critical rental subsidy for housing affordability for people with developmental disabilities. The Section 8 Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA) makes a number of important reforms in the voucher program and some related changes in the laws governing public and assisted housing. These reforms will help the voucher program perform even more effectively in meeting its mission of providing access to affordable housing to people in need. This bill, H.R.1851, is a revised version of legislation that was passed by the full Financial Services Committee last year but did not make it in to law. If passed, it would allow 502 extra vouchers to be put into use in Maine, just due to efficiency.
Action to oppose proposed series of cuts to the safety net for vulnerable populations - In May 2011, the Governor announced proposed budget cuts that include serious eligibility restrictions for General Assistance, MaineCare, and Temporary Assistance for needy Families (TANF), and specifically for legal immigrants cuts to all of the above plus the food supplement program and SSI benefits for the first five years in Maine. At the same time as these cuts, the Governor proposed, and the Taxation Committee endorsed, a $200M tax cut for the wealthiest in Maine, including reducing the estate tax to benefit roughly 600 of the wealthiest families in the state, all expected to cost $350M over two years – which would likely result in even more massive cuts to programs important to people with low incomes.
The Coalition recognized that permanent restrictions on emergency cash assistance programs such as General Assistance for anyone receiving federal assistance such as Social Security Income or Social Security Disability Income would have tremendous negative impacts on those with disabilities. The Coalition called on its members and their networks to oppose these cuts by contacting their Representatives by telephone, email, written letters/postcards, and/or through personal visits.
DD Lifelong Continuum of Care and White Paper - September 2011 through present –The subcommittee of the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services formed in 2009 and consists of 9 parents representing all three regions of the state (with some being service providers), and DHHS leadership. This committee continues to tackle the daunting task of redesigning the system of care for persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities. After refinement, a White Paper was presented to, and well received by, the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and other leadership at DHHS. The model puts the person in the center as a child under parental care, who then transitions to adulthood under a combination of parental and community care. Housing is a primary concern along with considerations for support needed for transportation, financial support, healthcare, employment, education and natural support etc., throughout the person’s life. The goal is community inclusion with natural community supports, supplemented on an as needed basis with community based support.
Action to attend rally and provide testimony in opposition of proposed budget cuts: Dramatic cuts to DHHS were announced in December 2011. On Wednesday, December 14, 2011, a large rally at the State House Hall of Flags was attended by Coalition members and many others opposed to these cuts. On the following Thursday, 12/15, and Friday 12/16, public hearings were conducted where Coalition members joined others in voicing their opposition to the proposed budget cuts. Coalition members, family, friends and associates were encouraged speak out in the form of testimony at these public hearings, or via emails, telephone calls and traditional letters/postcards.
The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services is ultimately focused on pursuing action steps for quality services and housing as the name implies. It is meant to be a consortium of interested parties including those from other advocacy groups interested in these two issues. It is inclusive, and effective, and all interested parties are invited to attend or to participate through the email list serve. Some 4000 individuals, primarily parents, participate in the Coalition, which includes some 14 other distinct councils and advocacy groups, now united with a large voice in their efforts directed at housing and quality in services. Generally, meetings are held the second Monday of every month from 12 – 2pm in Portland at One City Center in Portland. For more information, or to receive action emails and policy updates, please contact Cullen Ryan, Executive Director of Community Housing of Maine, [email protected] or 879-0347.
Housing is a pressing concern for parents all around the state, especially given the lack of resources at this time. Quality and availability of services is also a significant concern. By pulling together as a collective voice, current policies can be improved. Please consider being a part of this Coalition.
The letter writing campaign initiated at that meeting continued through late 2006, and excitement about this ultimately fueled broader communication through a disjointed network of advocacy groups via various list-serves throughout the state. Soon, some 4000 parents, service providers, and advocates became involved in this advocacy effort and the letters began to pile up at Maine Housing. A significant volume of letters was received by MaineHousing leading them to include a $1 million allocation for non-homeless supportive housing for FY 07.
Action for Fully Restoring the HOME Fund: Energy continued and the group decided to pursue broader strategies aimed at ensuring resources were available for supportive housing creation for people with special needs. The group confirmed their prioritization of housing first and service quality improvement second. A strategy of a letter writing campaign to the Governor was devised after it was understood that the source of State Home funding, the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), originally designed to allocate funding to affordable housing through the HOME Fund (Housing Opportunities for Maine), had been moved to fill general fund gaps by the Governor since early in his term. The Governor had made commitments to a variety of groups about fully restoring this fund, and the Coalition decided to urge that he did exactly that. This letter writing campaign began in December and led to a flurry of emailed letters. Community Housing of Maine dovetailed this effort with advocates and service providers for homeless populations to increase the volume of letters received by the Governor, and other organizations were active in a similar pursuit. In early January 2007, the Governor announced his new budget which included full restoration of $7.5 million to the HOME Fund. This was a significant victory in round one, but the Legislature would still need to enact the budget, and the Coalition began conducting a letter writing campaign to educate individual Legislators about the importance of restoring the HOME Fund. The Coalition had representatives testify in committee hearings about the importance of restoring this fund. Members also had meetings and personal communication with individual Representatives to provide personal accounts about the importance of supportive housing for their family situation. Finally, toward the end of the Legislative session, messages were sent in the form of brief emails to Legislators asking for leadership on this issue. Later in the spring of 07, in an atmosphere where nearly everything was cut, the Legislature voted to reduce their raid on the HOME Fund by $2.5M in FY08 and $2.9M in FY09 creating a notable increase in funds at a time of funding decreases everywhere else.
Action for Educating DHHS and MaineHousing about the importance of a variety of supportive housing models: In response to the letters to the Governor, in August of 07, the DHHS Commissioner wrote letters to all participating members of the Coalition and set up a series of 6 meetings around the state to open a dialogue about supportive housing. Representatives of the Coalition attended these meetings and called for funding for supportive housing and a variety of models to support the individual needs of people with developmental and other disabilities. Those present also called for continued dialogue toward this end, establishing a pattern for improved direct communication between all parties. Partly as a result, DHHS committed to participating in the Coalition.
Action for addressing Emergency Rule change affecting services to people with Autism: In the fall of 2007, members of the Coalition participated in Public Comment with DHHS about an abrupt Emergency Rule change reducing services to certain individuals with Autism. Participants delivered testimony directly and by electronic communication voicing concerns about the change.
Action for the National Housing Trust Fund: In December of 2007, members of the Coalition emailed Senators Snowe and Collins urging that they become original co-sponsors of this critical legislation which passed the House in October 2007. The National Housing Trust Fund bill will establish dedicated sources of funding for the production, preservation and rehabilitation of 1.5 million affordable homes in 10 years. At least 75% of the funds will be for housing for households that have extremely low incomes. This will be the first real injection of funds targeting affordable housing for very low income populations since 1974. It is conservatively estimated that when passed, this bill will bring $10M into Maine in the first year alone. In response to grassroots support in Maine, Senator Snowe became the lead sponsor along with Senator Kerry of Massachusetts, and Senator Collins was the second original co-sponsor (of 6 tri-partisan co-sponsors of this bill), which was then introduced in the Senate on 12/19/07. Both offices said they had more contact urging their leadership on this than any other bill they could recall.
Action for addressing MaineCare Section 21 Waiver Concerns: In 2007, a number of Coalition members held a series of meetings with DHHS officials to have concerns addressed and questions answered about recent Medicaid changes affecting housing, services, and support for employment. These meetings opened a dialogue with constructive and direct two-way communication around this evolving program. Both parents and officials with DHHS were pleased with the input and improved understanding by all. Renewed action is taking place in the fall of 2008 as the program faces significant cuts.
Action to preserve the Safety Net for Maine's most Vulnerable Citizens: In late 2008 and early 2009, the Coalition pursued a major letter writing campaign with the Governor and members of the Legislature to ensure that any budget cuts shall not remove, damage, or undermine the Safety Net of emergency shelter, food, support services, and supportive housing for Maine's most vulnerable citizens including people with developmental disabilities. The goal was to have public announcements by public officials vowing to not make such cuts.
Housing Revenue Bond In 2008 and 2009, the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition began an effort to create a Housing Revenue Bond called The Campaign for Economic Development, Energy Efficiency, and Affordable Housing. The Coalition for Housing and Quality Services joined a large group of supporters in this effort, and reached out to Legislators. This bond effort was a major success: The Legislature passed a $30M affordable housing bond with the Senate voting 26-7 after the House voted 137-0 to pass it. The Governor signed it on June 12, 2009. A last minute effort to have some funds come from the HOME Fund was defeated, in part from the Legislators knowledge about the importance of the HOME fund from the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services in concert with others. All funds for this bond will come from the General Fund portion of the Real Estate Transfer Tax, as we wished. MaineHousing is authorized to put out the bonds to be repaid beginning in the next biennium. Although not binding, the bill calls for MaineHousing to distribute 10% towards supportive housing.
Action to devise and implement an efficient and effective DD Lifelong Continuum of Care – In late 2009 and 2010 the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services initiated a parent-led project to redesign, from the ground up, a system of care for persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities. This began with a visual and conceptual diagram, evolved to a narrative, a structural design for implementation, goals and action steps to achieve them, and notes about what parents specifically don’t want to repeat from the current system of care.
Action to extend Federal Medicaid Assistance (FMAP) - In the week of 08/01/2010, the Senate voted on the extension of Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP). There was a temporary increase in the match $3 to $1 and this was due to expire on December 31st. If this funding were not extended, Maine would have faced $100M hole in the budget this year, $30M of which would have come out of DHHS; curtailment and cuts were lined up to begin in two months. Maine came close to seeing the system of care dismantled in 2009. Along with others, the Coalition fought hard and kept that from happening. Our collective voices were heard by our Senators who were the only Republicans to vote in favor of a further extension of FMAP. It was then voted favorably through by the House the following week. Our Senators voted for this despite strong pressure from the Republican Party, and they deserve many thanks for their courage and leadership!
Action to join the campaign to secure Housing Choice Voucher Program – In November 2010, the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services elected to join the statewide campaign urging the Obama administration to reestablish the Federal commitment to increase the supply Section 8 Housing Vouchers. This is a critical rental subsidy for housing affordability for people with developmental disabilities. The Section 8 Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA) makes a number of important reforms in the voucher program and some related changes in the laws governing public and assisted housing. These reforms will help the voucher program perform even more effectively in meeting its mission of providing access to affordable housing to people in need. This bill, H.R.1851, is a revised version of legislation that was passed by the full Financial Services Committee last year but did not make it in to law. If passed, it would allow 502 extra vouchers to be put into use in Maine, just due to efficiency.
Action to oppose proposed series of cuts to the safety net for vulnerable populations - In May 2011, the Governor announced proposed budget cuts that include serious eligibility restrictions for General Assistance, MaineCare, and Temporary Assistance for needy Families (TANF), and specifically for legal immigrants cuts to all of the above plus the food supplement program and SSI benefits for the first five years in Maine. At the same time as these cuts, the Governor proposed, and the Taxation Committee endorsed, a $200M tax cut for the wealthiest in Maine, including reducing the estate tax to benefit roughly 600 of the wealthiest families in the state, all expected to cost $350M over two years – which would likely result in even more massive cuts to programs important to people with low incomes.
The Coalition recognized that permanent restrictions on emergency cash assistance programs such as General Assistance for anyone receiving federal assistance such as Social Security Income or Social Security Disability Income would have tremendous negative impacts on those with disabilities. The Coalition called on its members and their networks to oppose these cuts by contacting their Representatives by telephone, email, written letters/postcards, and/or through personal visits.
DD Lifelong Continuum of Care and White Paper - September 2011 through present –The subcommittee of the Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services formed in 2009 and consists of 9 parents representing all three regions of the state (with some being service providers), and DHHS leadership. This committee continues to tackle the daunting task of redesigning the system of care for persons with developmental or intellectual disabilities. After refinement, a White Paper was presented to, and well received by, the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and other leadership at DHHS. The model puts the person in the center as a child under parental care, who then transitions to adulthood under a combination of parental and community care. Housing is a primary concern along with considerations for support needed for transportation, financial support, healthcare, employment, education and natural support etc., throughout the person’s life. The goal is community inclusion with natural community supports, supplemented on an as needed basis with community based support.
Action to attend rally and provide testimony in opposition of proposed budget cuts: Dramatic cuts to DHHS were announced in December 2011. On Wednesday, December 14, 2011, a large rally at the State House Hall of Flags was attended by Coalition members and many others opposed to these cuts. On the following Thursday, 12/15, and Friday 12/16, public hearings were conducted where Coalition members joined others in voicing their opposition to the proposed budget cuts. Coalition members, family, friends and associates were encouraged speak out in the form of testimony at these public hearings, or via emails, telephone calls and traditional letters/postcards.
The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services is ultimately focused on pursuing action steps for quality services and housing as the name implies. It is meant to be a consortium of interested parties including those from other advocacy groups interested in these two issues. It is inclusive, and effective, and all interested parties are invited to attend or to participate through the email list serve. Some 4000 individuals, primarily parents, participate in the Coalition, which includes some 14 other distinct councils and advocacy groups, now united with a large voice in their efforts directed at housing and quality in services. Generally, meetings are held the second Monday of every month from 12 – 2pm in Portland at One City Center in Portland. For more information, or to receive action emails and policy updates, please contact Cullen Ryan, Executive Director of Community Housing of Maine, [email protected] or 879-0347.
Housing is a pressing concern for parents all around the state, especially given the lack of resources at this time. Quality and availability of services is also a significant concern. By pulling together as a collective voice, current policies can be improved. Please consider being a part of this Coalition.