08/03/2026
Maine families are working, earning income, and doing everything they can...and still cannot afford a safe, stable home.
A new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows just how serious the gap has become. In Maine, a worker must earn $28.42 per hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
At the state minimum wage, that would require working 86 hours every week.
Project Home helps people overcome the barriers standing between them and the homes that already exist. Through housing navigation, lease guarantees, eviction prevention, healthcare connections, direct cash assistance, and employment support, we help families secure housing, remain stable, and increase their incomes over time.
Many of the families we serve earn too much to qualify for public assistance but too little to keep pace with Maine’s rising housing costs.
Maine needs long-term investment in affordable housing, along with immediate strategies that help working families access and maintain housing today.
We are grateful to the National Low Income Housing Coalition for documenting the challenges facing renters across the country, and to the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition -MAHC for sharing this important data and continuing to advocate for meaningful solutions here in Maine.
A report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that a person would need to make more than $32 an hour to afford the average 2-bed apartment.