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MAIN
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A Joint Project of the Maine
Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods |
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Volume 9 No. 2 |
August 2005 |
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MAIN
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A Joint Project of the Maine
Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods |
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Volume 9 No. 2 |
August 2005 |
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Help Protect General Assistance
Maine’s Basic Safety Net ProgramJust over 4,000 people a month get help from Maine’s General Assistance Program. General Assistance is Maine’s most basic safety net program providing food, shelter and other basic necessities for people with very little or no income. The program is administered by Maine cities and towns and funded by both the State and municipalities.
Over the years there have been many cuts in the General Assistance Program. In the early 90's the State’s contribution to the program was cut from nearly $21 million annually to about $5 million. In the last fiscal year it is estimated that the State will reimburse municipalities about $5.5 million and that the total program spending will be $8.8 million.
For many people General Assistance is the only help between them and homelessness. But in tough financial times, even this program is not immune from potential cuts. This year legislation was introduced to prevent people who moved to Maine from getting this help. This bill was defeated because it was unconstitutional—it is illegal to treat new residents differently from those who have lived here longer. Also, legislators recognized that many people moving to Maine are, in fact, just coming home to be near family, or have other good reasons to come, such as escaping domestic violence or to find work. They too would be hurt by such a law.
Even though this proposal was defeated, there is still interest by some in restricting payment of general assistance to people who “give up” a source of support to move within Maine or from another state. They don’t think that cities and towns should help people who, for example, had a subsidized housing unit in another state and left it to come to Maine. But such a provision might also be applied to someone who left family in another state who some might argue could have supported them there. Of course, there are many good reasons why people would make such a move but those would not be considered. Under this kind of proposal the right of low-income people to move freely within the State or country as their needs require would be severely restricted.
MEJP wants to hear from you if you, or someone you know, would be hurt by a proposal like this. Do you have an adult child out of state that might want to come home but might need some help once he or she gets here? Have you experienced domestic violence and had to move to Maine to be safe but needed some help once you got here? Did you come to Maine yourself to take a job but the job fell through once you got here? Your stories may help others understand why this kind of restriction in the General Assistance Program is unfair or harmful. If you have a story that might help please call Crystal Bond at Maine Equal Justice—1-866-626-7059, ext 205.
