AUGUSTA - Rep. Daniel J. Hobbs, D-Wells, introduced a bill this week directing the Maine Community College System to study providing housing on its campuses.
LD 830 would study providing on-campus housing for students. The system would need to consider the cost of constructing housing, available space on campuses, the cost to students, other infrastructure and staff necessary to support housing, alternate housing options and any other issues the system feels are appropriate.
"The number of obstacles and financial obligations that go along with attending college is increasing," said Hobbs. "College students are struggling to find affordable housing reasonably close to campus, and off-campus rentals are often too expensive. We want on-campus housing to be more accessible to all students, and housing should not be added to the list of obstacles that they already face."
The Education and Cultural Affairs Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 15, at 1 p.m.
Through the Legislature's website, members of the public can view public hearing schedules, sign up to testify live before the committee and access a livestream of the committee hearings online.
Hobbs is serving his second non-consecutive term in the Maine House, representing a portion of Wells. He serves as a member of the Environemnt and Natural Resources Committee.