To: Members of the Joint Select Committee on Housing
From: Ania Wright, Political and Legislative Specialist
Date: April 4th, 2023
Re: Testimony in Support of L.D. 2: An Act to Address Maine’s Housing Crisis
Senator Pierce, Representative Gere, and the members of the Joint Select Committee on Housing,
I am testifying today on behalf of Sierra Club Maine, representing over 22,000 supporters and members statewide. Founded in 1892, Sierra Club is one of our nation’s oldest and largest environmental organizations. We work diligently to amplify the power of our 3.8 million members nation-wide as we work towards combating climate change and promoting a just and sustainable economy. To that end, we urge an “ought to pass” report on L.D. 2: An Act to Address Maine’s Housing Crisis.
We are in strong support of the amendment proposed by Speaker Talbot-Ross to address chronic homelessness by creating the Housing-First Fund. To avoid going into detail on the myriad of reasons to support this program, as the committee will be hearing from many experts on the subject today, we would like to highlight the importance of adopting this amendment as it relates to climate change and climate justice.
The impacts of climate change hit our most vulnerable communities first and worst. Whether it be extreme weather events, or effects of pollution, people experiencing homelessness are on the frontlines of climate impacts. In addressing the climate crisis in Maine, we ensure that we are taking an intersectional approach to the housing crisis so that solutions help instead of hurt these communities.
The Housing First Fund would help to uplift people experiencing homelessness in our state, and would lead to a more resilient and robust Maine that will be more secure in the face of crises like climate change, in addition to addressing other issues like urban sprawl. Thank you for your time and consideration, and again we urge you to vote ‘ought to pass’ on L.D. 2.
Sincerely,
Ania Wright
--
Political and Legislative Specialist
Sierra Club Maine Chapter