Program SummaryMaine Housing provides grants to emergency shelters serving people who are homeless.
Grants may be used for:
- Shelter operations and maintenance (except that funding for shelter staff can’t exceed 10% of the grant amount).
- Essential services that are new or a quantifiable increase over those provided by local government (up to 30% of the grant amount).
- Homeless prevention services (up to 30% of the grant amount).
- Building rehabilitation or conversion that will provide emergency shelter for at least 10 years (in the case of major projects) or at least 3 years (in the case of minor projects) and that meet certain other minimum requirements.
More detail on allowable uses is provided in the Homeless Programs Rule.
Am I Eligible? To be eligible to receive emergency shelter funds an applicant must:
- Be a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
- Operate a fixed facility (unless the shelter is a safe home serving victims of domestic violence) that provides overnight shelter 365 days per year and phone access 24 hours a day.
- Provide shelter to eligible clients, regardless of their ability to pay.
- Provide intake and assessment services that link people who are homeless with appropriate services, including services that help clients move toward appropriate stable housing.
- Have the administrative and financial management capacity necessary to operate the shelter and to account for the use of the grant.
- Conform to the Maine minimum shelter standards established by the Maine Statewide Homeless Council.
For a complete list of requirements and conditions, see the Homeless Programs Rule.
How Do I Apply?