Housing Legislation - L.D. 2003
What is L.D. 2003?
L.D. 2003 is An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Commission To Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Zoning and Land Use Restrictions. The bill was passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor in April 2022. The law went into effect July 27, 2022, however, a majority of the bill’s requirements do not take effect until July 1, 2023. The Commission was established under LD609 and provided 9 recommendations to increase affordable housing that was intended to address the shortage in Maine. This law is designed to remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to housing production in Maine, while preserving local ability to create land use plans and protect sensitive environmental resources.
What should towns do now?
Review what is a "Growth Area" in your Comprehensive Plan
Identify areas that can connect to water and sewer
Ensure the Planning Board and CEO are aware of the rules and parcels that are applicable
Talk with your Select Board about Short-Term Rentals
Ordinance Revisions:
Towns should prepare Ordinance revisions in advance of July 1, 2023
Towns should review their Ordinance to remove any discriminatory language against affordable housing
Towns should add a definition of "Accessory Dwelling Unit" that includes a maximum size to avoid loopholes
Towns should review parking and density requirements
Recommendations:
Immediately review Accessory Dwelling Units, parking requirements, and dimensional standards in Ordinances relating to residential use
Towns can establish a process to anticipate for the high volume of multi-family and ADUs
Speak with your local representatives if you believe you need more time to prepare your ordinances
DECD Q&A Sessions:
The Housing Opportunity Program within the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development is hosting six Q&A sessions in April and May to provide an opportunity for individuals to ask questions about L.D. 2003. If you have any questions about these sessions, please email housing.decd@maine.gov.
Session Dates:
Session 1: Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 10am-11am
Session 2: Tuesday, April 25, 2023, 10am-11am
Session 3: Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 10am-11am
Session 4: Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 10am-11am
Session 5: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 10am-11am
Session 6: Tuesday, May 30, 2023, 10am-11am
The Zoom link for all six sessions is available here:
https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/85671268128
Please share the flyer below with anyone that might be interested in joining.
References & Resources:
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L.D. 2003 "An Act to Implement Recommendations of the Commission to Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Zoning and Land Use Restrictions"
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L.D. 2003 Final Rule: 19-100 C.M.R. ch. 5, Housing Opportunity Program: Municipal Land Use and Zoning Ordinance Rule & the Summary of Comments and Responses
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Housing Opportunity Program Grants: The Housing Opportunity Program has grant funding available to financially assist service providers and municipalities with municipal ordinance development, community housing planning services, and community housing implementation services. The Department of Economic & Community Development is responsible for adopting rules by which to administer the grant funding. Once the rulemaking process is complete, the Department will solicit applications for grants through the competitive application process. View the Final Rule and the Summary of Comments and Responses.
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Guidance Document on L.D. 2003, issued by the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) Housing Opportunity Program
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Recommendations from the Commission to Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Land Use Regulations & Short Term Rentals, issued on November 15, 2022 (This report was mentioned during our workshop presentation. Note, it is separate from L.D. 2003)
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LCRPC Quick Chart of L.D. 2003 *FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, please refer to L.D. 2003 language when preparing any ordinance changes*
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LCRPC and MCOG hosted a workshop highlighting L.D. 2003. You can view the recording to the workshop below and here.
- LCRPC and MCOG hosted a second workshop highlighting L.D. 2003 in June of 2023. Ben Averill and Hilary Gove of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) provided an overview of L.D. 2003 with updates related to rule making, grants, and legislation that may impact L.D. 2003. You can view the recording to the workshop below and here. The slides to this workshop are available here.
If you have any questions or need any assistance contact County Planner Emily Rabbe at erabbe@lcrpc.org or (207) 882-4271.
To receive updates from the Department of Economic and Community Development about implementation of this legislation, please email Housing.DECD@maine.gov.