30-A M.R.S. §4364-C: Municipal role in statewide housing production goals

This section governs the responsibilities and roles of municipalities in achieving the statewide and regional housing production goals set by the Department of Economic and Community Development in Title 5, section 13056, subsection 9.

1. Fair housing and nondiscrimination. A municipality shall ensure that ordinances and regulations are designed to affirmatively further the purposes of the federal Fair Housing Act, 42 United States Code, Chapter 45, as amended, and the Maine Human Rights Act to achieve the statewide or regional housing production goal.

2. Municipalities may regulate short-term rentals. A municipality may establish and enforce regulations regarding short-term rental units in order to achieve the statewide or regional housing production goal. For the purposes of this subsection, "short-term rental unit" means living quarters offered for rental through a transient rental platform as defined by Title 36, section 1752, subsection 20‑C.

3. Residential units in commercial zones.

4. Mandatory training. The municipal reviewing authority and the municipal body hearing zoning appeals, if applicable, shall attend a training on land use planning offered by a state agency or a statewide association representing municipalities or a regional council or municipality within 180 days of appointment or, if a training is not available within the 180-day period, the municipal reviewing authority member and the municipal body hearing zoning appeals must attend the next available training.