The Maine Office of Community Affairs (MOCA) is a new standalone State office that partners with Maine communities to strengthen planning and implementation at the local level. It serves as a one-stop shop within State government to provide coordinated and efficient planning, technical assistance, and financial support to towns, cities, Tribal governments and regional entities, to help them better plan for common challenges, pursue solutions, and create stronger, more resilient communities.
Starting in Fall 2025, the Office will reorganize seven existing state programs involving land use, housing and flood plain planning, as well as building codes, coastal management, and climate resilience.
Other state programs that provide services to communities on these and other related topics will remain in other agencies, with the Office ensuring increased coordination across agencies and program staff.
The Office includes a newly established State Resilience Office and staff, supported by the historic $69 million climate resilience grant awarded to Maine by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The staff of the reorganized programs and the State Resilience Office will work together to enable each community to find the support services that are right for them.
Programs from across state government will move into the new MOCA space on September 24. Working together in the same space will help coordinate MOCA's efforts to support communities.
It is going to take time for a staff to settle in, but MOCA's programs are still answering questions. Community leaders should continue contacting program leaders, as they have in the past. They can also email info.moca@maine.gov for guidance.
For information on:
- Code enforcement officer management and training, contact Code Enforcement: codes.moca@maine.gov, 207-287-4431
- Grants and technical assistance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to clean energy, and become more resilient to climate effects, contact the Community Resilience Partnership: ashley.krulik@maine.gov
- National Flood Insurance Program assistance and local flood plain ordinance and flood insurance requirements, contact the Floodplain Management Program: sue.baker@maine.gov, (207) 287-8063
- Housing development support, land use reform assistance, and community housing planning and grants, contact the Housing Opportunity Program: housing.moca@maine.gov
- Resources for managing the coastal zone for the public benefit, contact the Maine Coastal Program: MaineCoastalProgram@maine.gov
- Comprehensive planning, land use ordinances, and mapping, contact the Municipal Planning Assistance Program: joan.walton@maine.gov, (207) 419-8661
- Support for regional initiatives to protect against extreme weather, contact the State Resilience Office: brian.ambrette@maine.gov
- State service opportunities such as Maine Service Fellows and AmeriCorps, volunteer management, and volunteer training: service.commission@maine.gov, (207) 624-7792
In mid-November, MOCA will launch a suite of new resources, including a central phone line that will direct caller questions to in-house experts and a funding finder to help communities navigate opportunities available to them.
