A new housing program in the state of Maine seeks to attract illegal migrants with a new apartment, rent-free for two years.
Brunswick, Maine, is opening 60 new apartments for migrants, with 24 of them already completed, according to local news station WCSH-TV.
The units are designed specifically for migrants who are awaiting work permits, which can take up to a year.
According to the news station, the Maine State Housing Authority oversees the program.
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WCSH reported that the state will pay the illegal migrants’ rent with funds approved by the state legislature.
The program has enough funding to cover rent for up to two years, but migrants will have to pay 30% of their rent once they find work, according to the news station.
At the end of the two-year program, the housing built by the Developers Collaborative group will be converted to a mix of market-rate and affordable housing unless officials decide to extend the program, according to WCSH.
One migrant, a woman named Esther from Nigeria, residing in the apartments told the news outlet that her new unit feels like a “palace.”
“In [a] hotel, there are rules and regulations,” she stated. “In a shelter too, we have so many people. We share the kitchen together. We share the restroom together.”
But not all state residents are happy, given the US citizen homeless problem in the state.
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“What a slap on the face of all Maine residents, and all American citizens in fact, especially the homeless. Abbott should redirect all illegals to Maine and Boston,: said JUST ICE on X.
The executive director of the Maine State Housing Authority, Dan Brennan, told WCSH that the program is a “unique solution to a very exciting opportunity in our state.”
“We have thousands of folks coming to Maine who want to make Maine home. We’re doing everything we can to help that situation,” he told the news station.
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