This special series on Infill is in partnership with Up For Growth, who is hosting a conference featuring amazing pro-housing voices from all over the country. We had the great opportunity to sit down with several of the speakers and give you a preview of what will be discussed in more detail during the online conference. Tickets are free, grab yours here! https://go.upforgrowth.org/UFG2021YIMBY

In this episode, Laura Foote sits down with Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau, who has done substantial work on housing in his state. He grew up in Affordable Housing, and his experience informs his work on increasing Affordable Housing in Maine. A bill he sponsored recently passed in the state that will establish a commission to review barriers to producing more affordable housing in Maine, and he speaks to the challenges the state faces such as the quality of housing, the impact of housing on generational poverty, and the importance of housing security.

Links:

Speaker Fecteau's philosophy regarding Maine's affordable housing issue: https://ryanfecteau.com/affordable-housing/

Follow Speaker Fecteau on Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakerfecteau

Maine's Commission to Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Zoning and Land Use Restrictions started meeting in August: https://ryanfecteau.com/2021/08/maines-new-commission-to-increase-housing-opportunities-begins-work-this-week/

Speaker Fecteau's bill that passed this year paved the way for this Commission: https://ryanfecteau.com/2021/06/affordable-housing-legislation-sponsored-by-speaker-fecteau-signed-into-law/

One-minute news clip about Speaker Fecteau's affordable housing work: https://www.facebook.com/SpeakerFecteau/videos/437420190699725

At the start of 2020, Governor Mills signed Speaker Fecteau's bill making the largest statewide investment in affordable housing:

https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/governor-mills-signs-fecteaus-affordable-housing-bill-law-2020-02-12

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/