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Maine among 20 states suing Trump administration over limited funding for long-term housing supports

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Maine among 20 states suing Trump administration over limited funding for long-term housing supports


Workers from C.A. Newcomb and Sons erect a fence below an on-ramp for the Casco Bay Bridge in December 2023. The area was the site of a large homeless encampment. (Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer)

Maine is joining a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging recently proposed limits on support for long-term housing for people at risk of becoming homeless.

The suit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island by attorneys general and governors from 20 states and Washington, D.C. It accuses the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of illegally upending support services for tens of thousands of Americans with changes that will limit access to long-term housing.

The suit comes in response to plans the department announced this month to cut funding for long-term housing assistance in its Continuum of Care grant program and redirect resources to transitional housing and short-term supports like emergency shelters.

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“Winter is coming here in Maine and now the administration is redirecting congressionally appropriated funds that keep over 1,200 Mainers housed,” Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said in a written statement. “While there is little doubt the courts will agree that the administration has once again overstepped, the chaos and uncertainty these decisions create are harmful and unnecessary.”

The complaint alleges HUD violated its own regulations by not engaging in rulemaking before issuing the changes and violated the law by not receiving congressional authorization for the new conditions, many of which the states say are contrary to congressionally passed statutes and HUD regulations.

The states also argued that HUD’s actions are arbitrary and capricious, and said the agency hasn’t made an effort to explain why they are abandoning their own policies or failing to consider the consequences for people who as a result will be at risk for eviction.

HUD has said previously that the changes restore accountability to homelessness programs.

“Our philosophy for addressing the homelessness crisis will now define success not by dollars spent or housing units filled, but by how many people achieve long-term self-sufficiency and recovery,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a written statement earlier this month.

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A media contact for HUD did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday afternoon seeking comment on the suit.

The Maine attorney general’s office said HUD previously has directed about 90% of Continuum of Care funding to support permanent housing, but the agency’s new rules would cut that by two-thirds for grants starting in 2026.

Similarly, HUD has long allowed grantees to protect around 90% of funding year to year — essentially guaranteeing renewal of projects to ensure that individuals and families living in those projects maintain stable housing — but has reduced that number to 30%, the office said.

Continuum of Care programs support more than 1,800 people across Maine, and state officials have said the federal government’s proposed changes jeopardize housing for more than 1,200. Most are served through the Permanent Supportive Housing Program run by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

The program provides rental subsidies to people with disabilities and their families, while also connecting them to services to keep them successfully housed, such as treatment for substance use and mental health disorders.

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“As I have previously warned, this callous change by the Trump Administration — as we begin the holiday season — would jeopardize stable housing for 1,200 Maine people and drive up costs for Maine municipalities,” Gov. Janet Mills said in a written statement. “The Trump Administration should withdraw this unnecessary directive.”



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Amtrak train strikes, kills man in Old Orchard Beach, Maine

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Amtrak train strikes, kills man in Old Orchard Beach, Maine


A 51-year-old man was fatally struck by an Amtrak train in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, on Thursday afternoon, and police believe alcohol was a factor.

Old Orchard Beach Police say they responded around 2:18 p.m. to the area of the railroad tracks located off from the roadway near 133 Temple Avenue. The victim, who had been struck by a train traveling northbound, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Information obtained from witnesses suggests the man was traveling alone and walking nearby the railroad tracks moments before being struck by the train, according to police, who didn’t say why they believe alcohol was a factor in the incident.

The victim’s name is being withheld pending further investigation and notification, with police saying only that he was from Old Orchard Beach.

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Amtrak said in a statement obtained by NBC10 Boston affiliate News Center Maine that the individual was trespassing when he came into contact with the train.

Amtrak urged the public in its statement to stay off railroad property and use caution around railroad tracks and grade crossings, writing, “These incidents can affect everyone involved—those who are injured or die and their families, our train crews, and our passengers.”

There were no reported injuries among the 135 passengers and crew members abord the No. 683 train that was traveling from Boston to Brunswick until the incident happened on Thursday.

The added that preventing railroad incidents and fatalities is a priority for them. Amtrak is working with local authorities investigating this latest incident.

An investigation remains ongoing by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department, Amtrak Police and Saco Police Department, which responded to assist.

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High bacteria advisories reported at multiple Maine swimming spots

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High bacteria advisories reported at multiple Maine swimming spots


PORTLAND (WGME) — Wednesday afternoon, Tassel Top Park officials posted on social media, reporting the beach was temporarily closed to swimming after routine testing found elevated levels of E. coli in the water.

Anna Goodnik, a visitor at the park, says she was disappointed to learn she could not swim.

“It’s a beautiful lake. I feel so sorry, it’s too bad this happened,” Goodnik said.

She says she drove from Portland to visit the park.

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“Very sad because I came from Portland, I drove 40 minutes,” Goodnik said.

Goodnik says she has been coming to Tassel Top Park for 15 years and that while the park remained open, she was hoping to get in the water.

“The water is so smooth right now, I would just like to swim in it,” Goodnik said.

Raymond Town Manager Glenn Michalowski said in a statement that the Portland Water District provides weekly test results for 18 locations around Sebago Lake. Tassel Top Beach was closed for swimming because E. coli levels exceeded state water quality standards.

Michalowski said testing indicated the presence of waterfowl in the area, which can contribute to elevated bacterial levels. The statement also noted that high E. coli counts after rain events and in areas with waterfowl activity are a normal occurrence across Maine beaches and recreational water areas.

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Ben Peierls, research director at the Lakes Environmental Association, says warmer water can lead to more bacterial growth.

“When water gets warmer, there’s more growth of bacteria,” Peierls said.

Peierls says E. coli can come from animals such as birds, dogs and other wildlife, or from human waste. He says this time of year can bring rain and runoff that carries contaminants into lakes.

“This time of year, there’s lot of rain and runoff materials coming into lakes, and it’s coming from sources where there may have been that fecal material, and it gets washed into lakes and it shows up in places people could be recreating,” Peierls said.

Tassel Top is not the only location reporting elevated bacteria levels. Ferry Beach in Scarborough and East End Beach in Portland also reported results above Maine’s safety threshold for enterococci in marine waters.

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Town officials say Tassel Top Beach will reopen once retesting confirms the water has returned to safe levels, and residents will be notified when the closure is lifted. Swimming can resume once weekly testing confirms water quality is back within safe limits.

To check the status of all beaches in the state, click here.



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Person hospitalized after shed fire in Harpswell

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Person hospitalized after shed fire in Harpswell


HARPSWELL (WGME) — The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office says a person was hospitalized after a shed fire Wednesday night.

Firefighters were called to 23 Smokehouse Road in Harpswell for a shed fire around 7 p.m.

Crews quickly put out the fire and kept it from spreading into the woods.

An unhoused person who had been living in the shed suffered burns and smoke inhalation.

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They were taken to Maine Medical Center for treatment.

Investigators believe the fire may have been electrical in nature.

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The fire remains under investigation.

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