Welcoming New Mainers Home: Maine’s Housing System Response to Increased Immigration
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campbell-slcamp-mcp-dusp-2026-thesis.pdf
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13.91 MB
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2a3ed10c88b15816784f85595de297f2
Author(s)
Campbell, Sophia
Advisor(s)
Levine, Jeff
Torous, Walter
Date Issued
May 2026
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
In recent years, Maine has experienced a sharp rise in asylum seeker arrivals, heavily concentrated in the city of Portland. Drawn by job opportunities, safety, and eligibility for Maine’s public welfare system, these young families presented an opportunity to address the state’s aging population and increasingly acute labor shortages. Their arrival intersected with a rising housing crisis in the state, however, necessitating creative strategies by the state’s affordable housing network to shelter, stabilize and integrate these households into Maine.
I interview Maine policymakers, developers, service providers, and asylum seekers to examine each tier of Maine’s housing response. I find that emergency shelters initially faced severe overcrowding and relied on improvised solutions, but evolved into more coordinated systems, including a dedicated asylum seeker facility that improved service delivery. The Asylum Seeker Transitional Housing Program, offering private short-term units and comprehensive wraparound services, emerged as a particularly effective intervention with high rates of success obtaining permanent housing and local employment. Pairing rental assistance with housing navigation services and cultural mediation also proved successful in helping families stabilize in long-term housing. Although intensive upfront public investment was required to support families awaiting work permits, Maine’s asylum-seeking population has been notably upwardly mobile, with high rates of employment once authorized and close to zero evictions resulting from these programs.
Despite these successes, significant housing needs remain among Maine asylum seekers. Large, family-sized units are especially scarce, particularly those with access to public transit and social gathering spaces. In response, I propose an affordable housing development located in downtown Portland that is tailored in design, unit mix, and programming to the needs of asylum-seeking families. Expanding housing of this kind will be critical to retaining asylum seekers in the state and ensuring their ability to help build Maine’s future.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Real Estate. Program in Real Estate Development.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
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