MaineHousing

Farralee Ouellette

The ERA program is hurting more tenants than it is helping with the slow process to approve applications and send funding out. Our landlord has collected 9 months of rent for a building he has only owned 7 months. He fraudulently collected money and what is being done, nothing as of yet. We are covered until the end of April with the amount of rent he is sitting on, yet he is claiming nonpayment of rent is the reason he is evicting us. Landlords had to sign an agreement that not only would they not evict for nonpayment of rent, but they also signed saying a rent increase of more than 5% in 12 months would not occur. He has been receiving ERA funds in the amount of $975 since July 2021 and increased the amount well above the 5% threshold in January to $1200 a month without a 45-day written notice. I was told by the worker I am allowed access to all documents that were signed. I not only didn't receive the documents, but they also advised the landlord I was trying to get evidence on him. More ERA funds are on the way, yet we have a court date, so we are not providing him with that ERA fund check. We are sending it back for landlords who choose to follow the agreements that they signed and who are respectful to their tenants. At this point they have not enforced this program and the agreements signed by our landlord. We have had no issues with our landlord until he thought he could speed up the process of ERA funding by sending in 7-day notices on several tenants. When he realized he couldn't take advantage of the system in that manner, he chose to evict his tenants. Do the people that administer this program actually care about what happens to tenants? From the looks of the program response, that would be a no. We have at minimum 50 text messages, emails, and video recordings that clearly show the landlord's behavior which will be submitted as evidence into our hearing. It is interesting how we as citizens have to follow and abide by laws, yet people that are not US citizens or have naturalized since their entry into the USA don't. As soon as our housing is stabilized, I will be fighting for better protections for tenants and make sure their rights are actually upheld. Our situation is like so many others who may or may not have the courage to speak out about the abuses we are subjected to as tenants.

Tungsten Mightier

has not been easy to deal with this agency the past 18 months.

K M

Its been over a year since I sent in an application for Section 8. I have called and left messages more times then I remember to see if they even received my application and I have never heard back. I understand they have a lot to deal with, but they could at least send out a curiosity call or letter saying your application has been received.

Mallory Irving

I had my section 8 voucher since 2008 and all because I couldn't afford a place they decided that I no longer needed it so they took it from me but for me to reapply for it I gotta have a kid that I won't have to get it again