A new program in Maine will provide asylum seekers with free housing for up to two years as cities across the country continue grappling with an influx of migrants.
The United States has seen an influx of migrants entering the country in recent months, at times creating new challenges for city officials as they seek to allocate resources for them. Finding homes for migrants has become a key issue, particularly in communities that already have housing shortages. Many have been living in shelters and hotels across the country, but one city in Maine is launching a program to give some migrants free housing.
Brunswick, Maine, plans to open 60 new apartments for migrants, with 24 of the units already complete, according to local news station WCSH-TV. The units are specifically planned for migrants awaiting their work permits, a process that can take more a year.
The program is being led by the Maine State Housing Authority, the news station reported.
According to news station WGME, the state will help pay for migrants' rent using funds approved by the state Legislature. The program has enough funding to pay rent for up to two years, but migrants will need to pay 30 percent of their rent once they find a job, the news station reported.
After the two years of the program are up, the housing, built by the group Developers Collaborative, will be converted to a mix of market-rate and affordable-housing unless officials decide there is need to extend the program, WCSH reported.
Dan Brennan, the executive director of the Maine State Housing Authority, told WCSH that the program is a "unique solution to a very exciting opportunity in our state."
"We have thousands of folks coming to Maine who want to make Maine home. We're doing everything we can to help that situation," he told the news station.
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Migrants get up to two years free rent for new apartments
Brunswick, Maine, which has grappled with an influx of migrants, is aiming to secure more housing for asylum seekers.
