June 13, 2022
Minutes
Minutes
Attendees via Zoom: Amanda Parker, Beth Mylroie, Betsy Hopkins, Brenda Smith, Carol Snyder, David Cowing, Elisha Cicio, Janet DiBiase, Noelle Neault, Rob, Robin Levesque, Shelley Zielinski, Stacy Lamontagne, Todd Goodwin, Jamie Whitehouse, Dee Karnofsky, Liz Hansen, Teresa Barrows, Mark Kemmerle, Luke Curtis, Margaret Cardoza, Alexandria Twombly, Magda Darling, Debbie Dionne, Michaela York, Darla Chafin, Lily Mazu, Titus O’Rourke, Sharon, Susan Farwell, Helen Hemminger, Rachel Dyer, Paula Bush, Bonnie Robinson, Libby Stone-Sterling, Kim Humphrey, Ray Nagel, Linda Lee, Alli Vercoe, Suellen Doggett, Vickey Rand, Cullen Ryan, and a few people who joined the meeting in progress and/or left prior to its conclusion.
Cullen Ryan introduced himself and welcomed the group. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted. For the sake of time, Cullen read the names of participants.
Featured Speaker: Mark Kemmerle, Executive Director, Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board (MDSOAB). mainedsoab.org Topic: MDSOAB Annual Forum – feedback for DHHS, including feedback on the availability, accessibility, and quality of services for persons with intellectual disabilities or autism and their families.
Cullen: Each year the MDSOAB holds community forum(s) to pull people familiar with and/or receiving services together to provide input on how well services are working, how they might be improved, and to provide general feedback. Today we have Mark Kemmerle, Executive Director of the MDSOAB, to do just that. I want to welcome you and thank you for being here. This forum is designed to start a dialogue. This is one of the primary reasons this Coalition exists – to disseminate information, solicit feedback, and work to make the system of care better for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in Maine. This year will similar the past few years’ MDSOAB annual forums, with a handful of identified questions/prompts on which the group will focus and comment. We want you all have Mark’s contact information ([email protected]) so that you can continue to provide feedback after the meeting as well.
Mark Kemmerle: We’ve been holding annual forums here for about five or six years. OADS (The Office of Aging and Disability Services) and their providers have spent much of the last two years dealing with impact of COVID, stopping the spread of the coronavirus, and getting thousands of residents and staff vaccinated and has done a remarkable job. During this time, a severe shortage of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) has put additional pressure on families, providers, and on those receiving services whose lives have been disrupted. OADS and providers have also had much work to do to come into compliance with the federal Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule during this time. As you may be aware, this rule was passed in 2014, but Maine did not start to deal with it until 2019, when the Mills administration took office. As a result, both OADS and service providers have had to cram seven years’ worth of work into two. The implementation and compliance date has been pushed back several times and now is set for March 2023, and questions still exist concerning how all the provisions can be implemented in view of the severe shortage of qualified support staff.
All these efforts required a great deal of work from OADS staff and from all the state’s providers, and I think it’s remarkable how much has been accomplished. However, there are always issues that persist and still need to be addressed. Please respond to the following prompts concerning the performance of both the provider community and DHHS/OADS in the past year and of goals and priorities for the future. The more specific people can be with their feedback and suggestions, the better.
Forum Discussion: The following includes a numbered/bulleted list of initiatives and questions for consideration. The direct feedback generated from attendees follows each prompt, and is italicized, with any responses to questions/comments indented and identified by the speaker, as relevant.
1. What things have gone particularly well and deserve our acknowledgment and thanks?
Which of these areas of concern should be addressed immediately as the Department has breathing room? Where would you allocate resources?
Navigating the System/Case Management:
Transition:
Communication/Information Sharing:
5. I believe almost everyone would agree that the biggest issue in service delivery in the past year has been the shortage of qualified direct care workers. Any specific suggestions on recruitment and retention of direct support professionals would be appreciated.
-It was asked if Mark would consider sending this to SUFU (Speaking Up For Us) to solicit their feedback as well.
Mark: I hadn’t planned on doing so but definitely can. In the past we used to go on the road and do these forums in multiple locations across the state – in person. Today’s listening session is in lieu of an in-person forum. Though, I’m hoping by the fall we can have in-person listening sessions.
-It was asked what the goal is for this forum.
Mark: These listening sessions are for informational purposes and the feedback received and general trends are included in a report that the MDSOAB puts together for OADS. In going through this process, you see repeated themes, and these are not surprises to anyone including OADS. Then, OADS listens to what is said and responds.
Cullen: I want to thank everyone for their comments, and Mark for collecting this feedback. We will be sure that all of feedback provided today is incorporated into the minutes and given to Mark for the MDSOAB. If people have additional comments on how things are working and how things could be improved, please email Mark ([email protected]). Thank you, Mark, for being here today!
End Presentation (round of applause would have occurred were it not for everyone being muted and on Zoom)
DHHS – Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads
Betsy Hopkins: I wanted to share a few updates from OADS:
Cullen: Thank you, Betsy, for being here and for all of this information!
DHHS – Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs
Teresa Barrows: A lot of what was said about transition in the MDSOAB listening session we’re working on with OADS – including that key cross-training between children’s and adult services staff. We are moving forward with our transition work with Betsy and that is exciting! This has taken a lot of thought and a lot of your input has gone into this process. This work has taken longer than we thought but it’s important that we get it right.
Cullen: Thank you Teresa; that transition work is exciting indeed!
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Libby Stone-Sterling: I’ll provide a couple of quick updates. We’ve hired an additional staff person in Machias who will be focused on job development. Additionally:
Cullen: Thank you for these updates and for being here, Libby!
Special Education
Titus O’Rourke: Our LD 924 Task Force work continues and each of the subcommittees have submitted their first drafts. We have invited NTACT (National Technical Assistance Center on Transition Collaborative) to our next meeting. They’re assisting us in our work on transition on the Task Force. They’re helping us to identify and address our gaps and barriers. They’re also a crucial partner in furthering Maine’s transition framework. I’ve bene hearing that we really need a system of care, a cross-agency collaborative, to support Maine’s transition framework. I’m hoping that this work will culminate in a transition hub in which everyone could collaborate.
SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition):
The SMACT website and the Coalition website are cross-linked for convenience and information-sharing. As a reminder, if you want to be on the email list feel free to email Nancy ([email protected]). Next year SMACT meetings will be held quarterly, beginning on the first Friday of October. These meetings will be as information dense as possible since they won’t be held every month. The first presenter will be Diane Luce with the MMC Benefits Counseling Program discussing work incentives and addressing confusion regarding how work affects benefits.
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update: No update.
LD 924 Task Force Update:
Linda Lee: The LD 924 Task Force was created because of people falling off of the cliff after high school. The beauty of the Task Force is that it includes experts from every different aspect of the system, talking to and collaborating with each other. We keep running up against that cliff of no services, and there’s no one at the bottom of that cliff there to see what happens when people end up there. There’s a complete lack of data around that, which is an obstacle the group continues to face. But there’s a lot of great things happening across the state, which the group’s final work will also highlight. All of this work, and how it weaves in with other work underway, is exciting!
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen:
-It was asked if Cullen could speak about the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program, which he recently spoke about during a presentation.
Cullen: MaineHousing changed their eligibility and rules for the ERA Program. As of 6/1: ERA funds will only pay the government rate for hotels; will be capped at 12 months for new enrollees; limited to people at or below 50% AMI; and will only over rent, back rent, security deposits, and electric utility expenses. The program will no longer be able to help people already living in subsidized housing.
-There was general discussion regarding the need for additional affordable housing across the state.
State Legislature Update: The May meeting minutes include a throughout wrap-up of the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
Cullen: Tomorrow is Maine’s primary election. I encourage you to get out and vote. I also encourage you to connect with candidates running for office in your area, educate them about you and your family’s needs – tell your story. This is the best time!
Other Business:
-A self-advocate thanked Kim Humphrey and Community Connect for bringing the idea of visual storytelling to the Coalition as it has led to her and others doing the same. Cullen echoed his thanks and commended Kim for all her work!
The next meeting will be on Monday, July 11, 2022, 12-2pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speakers and Topic TBD.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(In 2022 the October meeting will be the 3rd Monday due to the holiday)
The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services provides equal opportunity for meeting participation. If you wish to attend but require an interpreter or other accommodation, please forward your request two weeks prior to the monthly meeting to [email protected].
Cullen Ryan introduced himself and welcomed the group. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted. For the sake of time, Cullen read the names of participants.
Featured Speaker: Mark Kemmerle, Executive Director, Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board (MDSOAB). mainedsoab.org Topic: MDSOAB Annual Forum – feedback for DHHS, including feedback on the availability, accessibility, and quality of services for persons with intellectual disabilities or autism and their families.
Cullen: Each year the MDSOAB holds community forum(s) to pull people familiar with and/or receiving services together to provide input on how well services are working, how they might be improved, and to provide general feedback. Today we have Mark Kemmerle, Executive Director of the MDSOAB, to do just that. I want to welcome you and thank you for being here. This forum is designed to start a dialogue. This is one of the primary reasons this Coalition exists – to disseminate information, solicit feedback, and work to make the system of care better for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in Maine. This year will similar the past few years’ MDSOAB annual forums, with a handful of identified questions/prompts on which the group will focus and comment. We want you all have Mark’s contact information ([email protected]) so that you can continue to provide feedback after the meeting as well.
Mark Kemmerle: We’ve been holding annual forums here for about five or six years. OADS (The Office of Aging and Disability Services) and their providers have spent much of the last two years dealing with impact of COVID, stopping the spread of the coronavirus, and getting thousands of residents and staff vaccinated and has done a remarkable job. During this time, a severe shortage of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) has put additional pressure on families, providers, and on those receiving services whose lives have been disrupted. OADS and providers have also had much work to do to come into compliance with the federal Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule during this time. As you may be aware, this rule was passed in 2014, but Maine did not start to deal with it until 2019, when the Mills administration took office. As a result, both OADS and service providers have had to cram seven years’ worth of work into two. The implementation and compliance date has been pushed back several times and now is set for March 2023, and questions still exist concerning how all the provisions can be implemented in view of the severe shortage of qualified support staff.
All these efforts required a great deal of work from OADS staff and from all the state’s providers, and I think it’s remarkable how much has been accomplished. However, there are always issues that persist and still need to be addressed. Please respond to the following prompts concerning the performance of both the provider community and DHHS/OADS in the past year and of goals and priorities for the future. The more specific people can be with their feedback and suggestions, the better.
Forum Discussion: The following includes a numbered/bulleted list of initiatives and questions for consideration. The direct feedback generated from attendees follows each prompt, and is italicized, with any responses to questions/comments indented and identified by the speaker, as relevant.
1. What things have gone particularly well and deserve our acknowledgment and thanks?
- It’s been a tough few years and people have been amazed how well OADS, providers, staff, and individuals have navigated and weathered the pandemic and all of its complexities and challenges.
- It would be great if OADS could be open to different, alternative housing models.
- In previous years high schoolers would stay in school until they turn 20, however now students can stay in school they turn 22. Retention of support staff is even more critical during this time due to the need to build relationships and trust which is lost when there is staff turnover.
- Betsy Hopkins: We’re working with OCFS and looking at transition liaisons to address youth transitioning from children’s services to adult services. The LD 924 Task Force is looking at this as well, compiling data, and coming up with specific recommendations.
- There is often a dilemma for families of children who are in that 19-21 age range regarding next steps – for example whether to accept Section 29 and leave school. These decisions are challenging for families, especially with the workforce crisis and not knowing if there will be someone to provide those Section 29 services should they chose to accept them.
Which of these areas of concern should be addressed immediately as the Department has breathing room? Where would you allocate resources?
Navigating the System/Case Management:
- Each of the issues that come up year after year that are listed seem to fall under some responsibility of the case manager and this position might be overlooked. Some case managers are fantastic; however, crisis management isn't the responsibility of a case manager. But if a parent were to go to a resource for help with any of these reoccurring topics, they would go to their case manager. The workload and expectations of case managers are very high and additional training would be helpful, as would increased pay.
- Case managers turnover so frequently it’s very hard, especially for families that need someone to hold their hand and provide good guidance.
- Case managers are under a lot of pressure to learn all the facets of the system, especially when there are changes. Case manager reimbursement rates have remained stagnant, to the point where there’s a lot of compression – the DSP salaries are catching up rather rapidly to case managers. Case managers are leaving for other, better-paying scenarios. Recruiting and retaining case managers is a challenge.
- Knowledge is power. Case managers have to be experts in all areas of the system, and they are not given the status or pay to continue on their professional path as case managers. But they should be that independent voice that helps people and families through the process. Knowledge, communication, and collaboration are key to everything.
- For families it’s what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. Skilled case management solves for this.
- It’s even more difficult for case managers now because the needs of people coming through the system have changed, there are mental health issues, more complex needs, etc. Training for this would be beneficial.
Transition:
- Maine Parent Federation receives more calls about transition than anything else. With the age change for being able to stay in school, people are often not sure what they are eligible for, what their options are, etc. Many case managers don’t know this either. Some across-the-board training – where children’s case managers and support staff know about the adult work and adult case managers and support staff know about the children’s world – would be helpful. It’s all very difficult for families to navigate.
- For kids in transition, it can be very confusing who helps you apply for waiver services and get on the waitlist, and that causes a delay in applying which further delays receipt of waiver services.
- There are multiple school transitions – from elementary school to middle school, and middle school to high school. There ought to be something that can be given to families at the IEP meeting to help educate them about the pros and cons of having a case manager and receiving services.
- Transitions are stressful, for the person and the family. It’s what keeps parents up at night. This stress and difficulty could be remedied by more knowledge, communication, and collaboration.
Communication/Information Sharing:
- Transparency with data is critical – what is shared, what isn’t, what’s available, what isn’t, etc.
- Mark: When coming up with these prompts I try to think about the areas of the system over which OADS truly has control. The two things that I think that are most difficult for OADS to control are funding the waitlists and building a data system to fully capture and integrate all of the data they have. Having access to data is important, however. A bill that passed the Legislature included improvements to the MDSOAB and improving the exchange of data between OADS and the MDSOAB is included in that bill.
- The VR (Voc Rehab) system uses social security numbers (SSN) to identify/track people, but this is not done in other Departments/Offices. This data tracking via SSN is done successfully in other states and would allow Maine to better identify people, deidentify data, and look at trends. The LD 924 Task Force is looking into this as it works on its recommendations.
- The Person-Centered Plan (PCP) is key in the adult world. Including measurements/indexes of independence and choice (i.e., Do you vote? Do you make your own choices when you go shopping? etc.) in the PCP would be advantageous for people and would work to make it more person-centered. This would also speak to one’s happiness in their lives. Additionally, everyone is different and has different capabilities and desires, so that would have to be built into those measurements/indexes.
- Having a list of acronyms and definitions would be helpful for families and would help with communication.
- Though they aren’t mutually exclusive, sometimes in policy and legislation people and ID/DD are mixed in with “behavioral health.” Working to ensure this doesn’t continue to happen is important.
5. I believe almost everyone would agree that the biggest issue in service delivery in the past year has been the shortage of qualified direct care workers. Any specific suggestions on recruitment and retention of direct support professionals would be appreciated.
- DSPs ought to be paid more – there is a lot involved including trainings, paperwork, etc. Many DSPs need second jobs in order to get by. Summer proves to be especially difficult for DSP staff retention due to seasonal work paying far more than the rates.
-It was asked if Mark would consider sending this to SUFU (Speaking Up For Us) to solicit their feedback as well.
Mark: I hadn’t planned on doing so but definitely can. In the past we used to go on the road and do these forums in multiple locations across the state – in person. Today’s listening session is in lieu of an in-person forum. Though, I’m hoping by the fall we can have in-person listening sessions.
-It was asked what the goal is for this forum.
Mark: These listening sessions are for informational purposes and the feedback received and general trends are included in a report that the MDSOAB puts together for OADS. In going through this process, you see repeated themes, and these are not surprises to anyone including OADS. Then, OADS listens to what is said and responds.
Cullen: I want to thank everyone for their comments, and Mark for collecting this feedback. We will be sure that all of feedback provided today is incorporated into the minutes and given to Mark for the MDSOAB. If people have additional comments on how things are working and how things could be improved, please email Mark ([email protected]). Thank you, Mark, for being here today!
End Presentation (round of applause would have occurred were it not for everyone being muted and on Zoom)
DHHS – Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads
Betsy Hopkins: I wanted to share a few updates from OADS:
- Roll out of a Self-Directed Option in Section 29:
- We are expecting the system to be ready to accept authorizations by 6/18/22.
- GT Independence is enrolled to provide FMS and Support Brokerage.
- The assessment tool for Case Managers is located here.
- Two webinar presentations of Introduction to Self-Direction occurred on 5/6 and 5/13. A recording can be found on the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council's website here along with Information Sheets on What is Self-Direction, What is a Support Broker, and What is a FMS.
- GT Independence and OADS presented Implementing Self-Direction on 5/26. More presentations are being scheduled and notices will be distributed.
- Coming Soon: A webpage dedicated to Self-Direction on the OADS Website.
- Maine is also participating in a NCAPPS (National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Planning and Systems) Self-Direction Learning Collaborative over the next year. The team is comprised of state staff, family members, members with lived experience, self-advocates, and other professionals.
- UNH START Systems Analysis of OAD’s Behavioral Health Support System
- Surveys have been distributed - Reminder below if you have not had an opportunity to complete a survey and/or would like to forward to others in your groups:
- The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) has asked the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability (IOD) to conduct an evaluation of how the current crisis service system in Maine serves individuals with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) and mental/behavioral health challenges.
- This survey is designed to look at the services currently available in the state of Maine and where they might need to be strengthened or improved. We are hoping to collect as many responses as possible from individuals working in any aspect of the service system (mental health, ID/DD services, education, drug/alcohol treatment, hospitals, justice, child protection, etc.) as well as from family members and service users. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by clicking on the link below. If you have any problems with the link, please feel free to email [email protected] and she will be happy to assist. https://unh.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_diCKZmchJRLuUpo
- Focus Groups have been scheduled and we hope to be completed by the end of June - early July
- OADS has provided the requested data to UNH staff, and they are in the process of analyzing it.
- We are still on track for a report by late summer.
Cullen: Thank you, Betsy, for being here and for all of this information!
DHHS – Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs
Teresa Barrows: A lot of what was said about transition in the MDSOAB listening session we’re working on with OADS – including that key cross-training between children’s and adult services staff. We are moving forward with our transition work with Betsy and that is exciting! This has taken a lot of thought and a lot of your input has gone into this process. This work has taken longer than we thought but it’s important that we get it right.
Cullen: Thank you Teresa; that transition work is exciting indeed!
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Libby Stone-Sterling: I’ll provide a couple of quick updates. We’ve hired an additional staff person in Machias who will be focused on job development. Additionally:
- STEP UP - College Prep Summer Program for youth with ASD: For the 4th year, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is pleased to be partnering with the University of Maine to offer STEP UP – a college prep summer program for upper-level high school students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. We are excited to be back on campus after two summers of offering the program virtually. STEP UP will run from July 11-August 12. This year we are focusing on a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) themed program. (Click here for more information.) As a reminder – there is no cost to youth or families to participate.
- Summer Virtual Job Clubs: We’re running a series of virtual job clubs over the summer. One is for people who have jobs and can work through issues, troubleshoot, and talk with others about what they’re facing. We also have another one looking at soft skills for development.
- BRS Stakeholders Forum: We invite you to join leaders from the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Rehabilitation Services to learn about programming and opportunities for individuals with disabilities through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired. We also look forward to your feedback and input as we strive for continuous improvement in service delivery. ASL and CART will be available.
Cullen: Thank you for these updates and for being here, Libby!
Special Education
Titus O’Rourke: Our LD 924 Task Force work continues and each of the subcommittees have submitted their first drafts. We have invited NTACT (National Technical Assistance Center on Transition Collaborative) to our next meeting. They’re assisting us in our work on transition on the Task Force. They’re helping us to identify and address our gaps and barriers. They’re also a crucial partner in furthering Maine’s transition framework. I’ve bene hearing that we really need a system of care, a cross-agency collaborative, to support Maine’s transition framework. I’m hoping that this work will culminate in a transition hub in which everyone could collaborate.
SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition):
The SMACT website and the Coalition website are cross-linked for convenience and information-sharing. As a reminder, if you want to be on the email list feel free to email Nancy ([email protected]). Next year SMACT meetings will be held quarterly, beginning on the first Friday of October. These meetings will be as information dense as possible since they won’t be held every month. The first presenter will be Diane Luce with the MMC Benefits Counseling Program discussing work incentives and addressing confusion regarding how work affects benefits.
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) Update: No update.
LD 924 Task Force Update:
Linda Lee: The LD 924 Task Force was created because of people falling off of the cliff after high school. The beauty of the Task Force is that it includes experts from every different aspect of the system, talking to and collaborating with each other. We keep running up against that cliff of no services, and there’s no one at the bottom of that cliff there to see what happens when people end up there. There’s a complete lack of data around that, which is an obstacle the group continues to face. But there’s a lot of great things happening across the state, which the group’s final work will also highlight. All of this work, and how it weaves in with other work underway, is exciting!
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen:
- The President’s FY 23 Budget: On 3/24 President Biden released his FY 23 budget, which acts as a blueprint for the Administration’s priorities. His budget calls for a range of policies that would boost opportunity and reduce poverty, improve health and well-being, and advance widely shared prosperity, funded by proposals to make the nation’s tax system stronger and fairer. Rather than laying out specific proposals for that package in its budget, it calls on Congress to craft an economic package that reduces costs for families, tackles climate change, and raises revenues to pay for these investments and shrink the deficit. The President’s proposed budget funds HUD programs at $71.9 billion, $6.2 billion more than the final FY 22 level.
- Forthcoming Budget Reconciliation Bill: On 4/6, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla sent a letter to congressional leadership calling for the inclusion of robust housing investments in any future budget reconciliation package. The letter urges leadership to ensure that the targeted housing investments in the House-passed Build Back Better Act remain in any future reconciliation bill.
- S 4181, LIHTC Financing Enabling Long-term Investment in Neighborhood Excellence (LIFELINE) Act: On 5/11, Senators Leahy and Connolly introduced the LIFELINE Act which would remedy the current issue of ARPA funding not blending well with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC program). Senators Collins and King have signed on as original co-sponsors. The bill is companion legislation to the House version of the LIFELINE Act (H.R. 7078), introduced by Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC) and David Rouzer (R-NC) in March (co-sponsored by Congresswoman Pingree).
- National Housing Trust Fund: There are various efforts in Congress to increase the National Housing Trust Fund, including the Homes for All Act which would invest $200 billion over 10 years into the National Housing Trust Fund. And, the Housing for All Act of 2022, which would invest $45 billion into the National Housing Trust Fund. In Maine, resources from the HTF are the primary funding mechanism for supportive housing development.
- SSI savings Penalty Elimination Act: This bipartisan bill, introduced in the Senate by Senator Sherrod Brown and co-sponsored by Senator Rob Portman, would raise the asset limit from $2,000 to $10,000 and tie the limit to inflation. If enacted, this would be the first change to the asset limit rule since 1989.
- Administration Announces Intent to Amend Regulations Implementing Section 504: U.S. Department of Education Announces Intent to Strengthen and Protect Rights for Students with Disabilities by Amending Regulations Implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Department's Office for Civil Rights will solicit public comments to help decide how best to improve current regulations to assist America's students with disabilities. As part of the development of the proposed amendments to the Section 504 regulations, the Department is soliciting public input. Interested parties may go to www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/reg/ocr/ to submit comments. The Department will hold Listening Sessions in the coming months.
- Governor Mills & MaineHousing Announce $20 Million to Expand Affordable Rental Housing in Rural Maine: On 5/10 Governor Mills and MaineHousing announced the launch of a $20 million program supported by the Governor’s Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to tackle Maine’s housing shortage by expanding the availability of affordable rental housing across rural Maine. The Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program will provide funding to build smaller affordable rental housing units. Under the program, projects must be between 5 and 18 units in size and may either be new construction, rehabilitation of existing housing, or reuse of existing buildings into livable spaces for low- and moderate-income households.
-It was asked if Cullen could speak about the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program, which he recently spoke about during a presentation.
Cullen: MaineHousing changed their eligibility and rules for the ERA Program. As of 6/1: ERA funds will only pay the government rate for hotels; will be capped at 12 months for new enrollees; limited to people at or below 50% AMI; and will only over rent, back rent, security deposits, and electric utility expenses. The program will no longer be able to help people already living in subsidized housing.
-There was general discussion regarding the need for additional affordable housing across the state.
State Legislature Update: The May meeting minutes include a throughout wrap-up of the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
Cullen: Tomorrow is Maine’s primary election. I encourage you to get out and vote. I also encourage you to connect with candidates running for office in your area, educate them about you and your family’s needs – tell your story. This is the best time!
Other Business:
-A self-advocate thanked Kim Humphrey and Community Connect for bringing the idea of visual storytelling to the Coalition as it has led to her and others doing the same. Cullen echoed his thanks and commended Kim for all her work!
The next meeting will be on Monday, July 11, 2022, 12-2pm, via Zoom*.
Featured Speakers and Topic TBD.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(In 2022 the October meeting will be the 3rd Monday due to the holiday)
The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services provides equal opportunity for meeting participation. If you wish to attend but require an interpreter or other accommodation, please forward your request two weeks prior to the monthly meeting to [email protected].