Bill
LD 1106
One-time $250,000 General Fund appropriation to MSHA to convert the Island Nursing Home (Hancock County) into 24 affordable senior apartments for residents aged 55+.
LD 1106 — An Act to Provide Funds for the Redevelopment of the Island Nursing Home in Hancock County into Affordable Senior Housing
Overview
- Purpose: To provide funding to redevelop the Island Nursing Home in Hancock County into 24 affordable senior housing apartments for individuals aged 55 and older.
- Sponsor and committee: Sponsored by Rep. Eaton (Deer Isle); referred to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development.
- Status: Carried over, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature pursuant to Joint Order SP 800. The bill was debated in 2025 and advanced through several steps before being carried over.
What the bill would do
- One-time appropriation: Establish a one-time General Fund appropriation of $250,000 in FY 2024-25.
- Use of funds: The money would be provided to the Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) to support the conversion of the Island Nursing Home into 24 affordable senior apartments.
- Housing outcome: The project targets affordable housing for seniors, specifically eligible individuals aged 55 and older.
- Administration and reporting: MSHA would oversee the redevelopment, and the fiscal notes indicate a required report related to the project (the additional reporting costs are to be absorbed within existing MSHA resources).
Fiscal and funding details
- General Fund impact:
- Net Cost (Savings): $250,000 in FY 2024-25; $0 in FY 2025-26 and beyond.
- Appropriations/Allocations: $250,000 in FY 2024-25; $0 in subsequent years.
- Source: General Fund.
- Ongoing costs: No ongoing General Fund costs projected in the fiscal notes; the arrangement is a one-time appropriation.
- Additional costs for reporting: Minimal and absorbable within MSHA’s current budget.
Affected entities and beneficiaries
- Primary recipient: Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA), which administers the funding and oversees the redevelopment process.
- Beneficiaries: Seniors aged 55 and older who would occupy the 24 newly created affordable housing units on the former Island Nursing Home site.
- Local impact: Hancock County, with potential neighborhood and housing market effects related to affordable senior housing development.
Procedural timeline and related actions
- Introduction: March 18, 2025.
- Committee action: Referred to Housing and Economic Development; work session held April 15, 2025; committee amendment approved (H-230) and bill advanced in May 2025.
- Floor actions (May 2025): Passed to be enacted on May 28, 2025; emergency measure requiring a two-thirds vote; sent for concurrence; placed on the Special Appropriations Table pending enactment.
- Later status: As of June 25, 2025, carried over in the same posture to any special or regular session (SP 800).
Notes and context
- The bill is framed as an emergency measure with a temporary appropriation to enable redevelopment and to produce affordable senior housing.
- The project envisions 24 units and aligns with housing supply goals for seniors in Maine.
- The fiscal notes consistently indicate a one-time $250,000 General Fund appropriation in FY 2024-25, with no ongoing General Fund costs projected.
In short, LD 1106 seeks a one-time $250,000 General Fund appropriation to MSHA to convert the Island Nursing Home into 24 affordable senior apartments for residents 55+, with reporting requirements and a project timeline aligned to a 2024-25 funding cycle.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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