Housing Opportunity Program Update, Winter 2026
Hello Planners!
Happy new year from the Housing Opportunity Program. There is a lot happening in the housing space that we would like to share with you.
Earlier this month, we released resources to help municipalities implement LD 1829, LD 997, and LD 427, including an adopted rule, a grant program to support municipalities with ordinance development, and a schedule of upcoming in-person and virtual technical assistance sessions for municipal staff to ask questions about the legislation. You can find these resources on HOP’s webpage on the Maine Office of Community Affairs’ website.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will add additional technical assistance resources, funding opportunities, and informational sessions to HOP’s webpage. This will include an updated version of HOP's existing LD 2003 Guidance Document.
We are also collaborating with the 10 regional councils in Maine to help facilitate standardized statewide housing data collection, per the requirements of LD 1184. For more information about the standardized data collection form and best practices for filling out this form, please contact your local regional council. As part of this data collection project, we have funding for municipalities with 4,000 or more residents to reimburse for the costs of reporting this data. You can find more information about the reimbursement and instructions on how to apply in the LD 1184 Reimbursement Letter (Doc) on HOP’s webpage.
Finally, the Legislature is considering a bill, LD 2173, which revises portions of LD 1829. We are tracking this bill as it moves through the legislative process. Stay tuned for more information!
If you have questions, email us at housing.moca@maine.gov.
Thanks for all you do to support housing creation.
Ben Averill
Ben Averill co-coordinates the Housing Opportunity Program at the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, supporting municipalities with land use and zoning ordinance amendments to support housing development across the State of Maine. He has significant municipal planning and economic development experience, having most recently served as Director of Planning for the City of Bath and previously working for the Town of Wiscasset and the City of Auburn. He graduated from Clark University and attended the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine.
Hilary Gove
Hilary Gove co-coordinates the Housing Opportunity Program at the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, supporting municipalities with land use and zoning ordinance amendments to support housing development. Prior to this position, she worked as a policy writer for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. She also served as a law clerk for the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. She is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law and William Smith College.