“Maine home sales and prices shoot up in January,” (Feb. 21)
Median price of Maine home sales, January 2019: $200,000
Median price of Maine home sales, January 2020: $220,900
Year-to-year increase in median home sale price: 10.45%
Wage necessary for full-time worker in Maine to afford the average one-bedroom apartment: nearly $16 an hour
Average renter’s wage in Maine, 2019: less than $12 an hour
Number of affordable housing units in Maine: 13,824
Number of Maine households on waiting list for affordable housing: nearly 33,000
Number of new units built each year: about 250
Funding for housing passed last month by legislators: $80 million in tax credits
“Report questions effectiveness of Maine tax incentive programs,” (Feb. 14)
Amount of property taxes forgiven by the state Business Equipment Tax Exemption program, fiscal year 2018: $58.5 million
Amount reimbursed by the state to municipalities: 61%
Loss to municipalities: $22.8 million
Portion of program administration costs returned to municipalities: 10%
Amount of property taxes reimbursed by state Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement program, same period: $29.1 million
Average BETR reimbursement of top 8% of beneficiaries: $202,604
Average BETR reimbursement of bottom 92% of beneficiaries: $5,611
Impact of programs’ on capital investment, according to Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability: “Likely marginal”
“Maine proposal to help homeless students graduate moves on,” (Feb. 23)
Maine’s overall high school graduation rate, 2018: 86.8%
Graduation rate for homeless students: 57.7%
Graduation rate for students in foster care: 56%
Number of homeless youth in Maine, 2017: 2,515
Increase in homeless youth, 2014-17: 30%
Number of Maine children in foster care: approximately 1,900
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