Maine tried zoning reform to fix its housing crisis. It’s unclear if it’s working.

Maine tried zoning reform to fix its housing crisis. It’s unclear if it’s working.

In 2022, the Maine Legislature took a rare step and required municipalities to adjust local zoning rules in an effort to spur housing construction, a move that generated a fierce debate over state growth targets versus local control.

It's unclear if Maine's zoning reform is fixing a housing crisis

Schematics for an affordable housing project in Biddeford, March 2026. Photo by Patrick Whittle of the Associated Press.In 2022, the Maine Legislature took a rare step and required municipalities to adjust local zoning rules in an effort to spur housing construction, a move that generated a fierce debate over state growth targets versus local control. Four years later, the State House may have finally worked out the kinks from that experiment. M…