By Dina Malual
Maine Equal Justice is committed to increasing economic security and opportunity for everyone in Maine, including our family, friends, and neighbors who are immigrants. Along with community members, advocates, and other organizations with similar values, we worked to increase funding for affordable homes and General Assistance (GA) in this year’s Maine state budget. We also worked to defeat cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and to increase health care access. Not all of our priorities made it into the budget, but some did. Below is a snapshot of significant wins.
General Assistance (GA)
GA is our state’s program of last resort when there’s an emergency need for food, medicine, or housing that is not met by other programs.
The legislature increased yearly funds for GA by $2 million, added $8 million in one-time funding for fiscal year 2026, and rejected harmful time limits that were in the Governor’s proposed budget. This funding closes a budget gap and supports cities and towns that are lawfully administering the program. This means that Mainers who qualify for help can continue to use General Assistances.
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Health Care
Legislators passed and funded a bill to strengthen Maine’s “free care” law. Free care helps low-income and uninsured Mainers access necessary health services at hospitals without incurring crushing medical debt. Anyone whose income meets the rules of this financial help program can apply for “free care” regardless of immigration status.
Some people are likely to lose their Medicaid (MaineCare) or Marketplace (CoverMe.gov) coverage in 2026 due to recent federal cuts. However, they will still be able to access free care at Maine hospitals if their family income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Most changes to Medicaid (MaineCare) that will affect coverage will go into effect in October 2026. We will share more information about those changes as guidance becomes available and rulemaking happens.
Maine’s new law also requires hospitals to translate applications for free care into multiple languages and provide an online application beginning on July 1, 2028.
Housing
Legislators provided $4.5 million in one-time funding to support emergency shelters. Emergency shelters provide vital support to people who have lost their home, and this funding ensures that shelters can remain stable until 2027 as we continue to work toward additional affordable housing opportunities and funding for these essential resources.
Rejecting Harmful Cuts
Legislators rejected the budget proposal to cut state-funded SNAP (food assistance) & TANF (income support) for immigrants. So as of now, immigrants who have their work authorization but are unemployed can continue to receive SNAP.
For now, we celebrate these state-level victories for access to housing, healthcare, and food assistance.
