Make Housing More Affordable

A home should provide stability, not constant anxiety about whether the next property tax bill or rent increase will make it unaffordable. For many families and seniors in our community, the challenge isn’t just finding housing—it’s being able to afford the home they already have.

I believe we need to reduce the burden of property taxes, protect affordable manufactured housing, and encourage more housing options that meet the needs of Maine families today.

My Plan to Make Housing More Affordable:

• Cut property taxes by doubling the Homestead Exemption. I will fight to double Maine’s Homestead Exemption, providing meaningful property tax relief to Mainers who own and live in their homes. No senior who has worked their entire life, paid their taxes, and built a home in our community should feel forced to leave because they can no longer afford the tax bill.

• Send more state revenue back to our towns. When the state doesn’t provide its fair share of funding for local services, more of the burden falls on property taxpayers. I support increasing municipal revenue sharing and continuing to reform state funding so communities like ours have the resources to provide essential services without continually raising property taxes.

• Make sure out-of-state luxury property owners pay their fair share. Maine’s tax system should prioritize the people who actually live, work, and raise their families here. I support exploring ways to ask owners of high-value secondary and seasonal properties to contribute more, allowing us to provide greater relief to year-round Maine residents.

• Protect mobile home residents from predatory investors. Manufactured homes are one of the most important sources of naturally affordable housing in rural Maine. I support Maine’s Right of First Refusal law, which gives residents an opportunity to come together and purchase their park when it is put up for sale. I will continue working to strengthen protections for residents facing excessive rent increases and preserve opportunities for resident ownership and local control, rather than allowing out-of-state private equity firms to treat people’s homes as an opportunity for a quick return.

• Create housing that works for today’s families. Maine doesn’t need a one-size-fits-all approach to housing. We need more options that reflect how people actually live today—from starter homes and smaller homes for young families to accessible, lower-maintenance options that allow older Mainers to downsize while remaining in their communities. State and local policies should make it easier to create the types of housing our communities actually need while respecting local decision-making.

Housing policy should ultimately be about stability: helping young people put down roots, allowing working families to get ahead, protecting mobile home residents from displacement, and making sure seniors can remain in the communities they’ve called home for decades.