Resources for Municipalities from Maine Department of Economic and Community Development
Since the passage of P.L. 2021, ch. 672 (LD 2003), we often have been asked by municipalities how they can address the lack of housing in their communities, without first understanding what the housing needs are at the local level. To help answer this question for communities, we wanted to share information about two resources that can be used by municipalities to make informed decisions about land use and housing planning
Maine Housing Data Portal
The first is the State of Maine Housing Data Portal. This Housing Data Portal was launched in May 2024 by the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, the Department of Economic and Community Development, and MaineHousing to serve as a central location for housing and community data to support land use planning and aid in the development of housing.
This online portal builds upon the State of Maine Housing Production Needs Study released in October 2023, which assessed the number of housing units Maine currently needs, as well as the number of units necessary to meet future needs based on demographic trends up through 2030.
The Housing Data Portal, prepared and maintained by a consulting firm, HR&A Advisors, compiles publicly available housing market, population, and economic data that is sortable and downloadable by state, county, and community. This data can be used to inform state and local housing and land use planning discussions, set housing goals, and aid in the development of housing at the local level.
The Housing Data Portal will be updated regularly. Please contact us with questions about the Housing Data Portal or the data sets by emailing housing.decd@maine.gov.
Maine Zoning Atlas
In addition to the Housing Data Portal, an interagency group is in the process of creating a Maine Zoning Atlas. The Maine Zoning Atlas is an initiative—affiliated with the Cornell University-based National Zoning Atlas—to create a web-based tool that visualizes point-in-time zoning codes across Maine via an easy-to-use online viewer. Team members include representatives from the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission and local land use experts. The goal of this initiative is to build and maintain a tool that can be used by researchers, municipalities, policymakers, housing developers, advocacy groups, realtors, planners, and others who are interested in understanding the ways municipal zoning codes facilitate or hinder affordable housing, environmental resource conservation, economic development, and transportation policy. Creation of a Maine Zoning Atlas will help democratize zoning to broaden participation in land use decisions and identify opportunities for land use reform on a local and state level.
At this time, the Maine Zoning Atlas is seeking volunteers to assist with code analysis, geospatial mapping, and communications. If you are interested in getting involved or know of potential funding sources for this work, please email mainezoningatlas@gmail.com.
Benjamin 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.