DRA is a five-year pilot program that provides rental assistance directly to tenants, instead of to landlords. Households use the assistance to rent in the private market while paying rent directly to the landlord each month. The goal is to give families more autonomy, expand housing choice, and simplify the leasing process.

The DRA pilot lasts five years. Participants may receive assistance for up to five years unless the pilot ends earlier. If extended, current participants may continue without reapplying.

Up to 60 new participants per year, dependent on funding availability.

DRA is open to:

• ✅ New applicants
• ✅ Current HCV participants (they cannot receive both at once)
• ✅ Individuals on the HCV waiting list

All applicants must meet standard HCV income eligibility requirements.

DRA uses a lottery-based waiting list to ensure fairness and equal opportunity. Applicants are selected randomly for available slots.

No, there is no preference, but HCV participants may apply for DRA through the lottery. They cannot receive both programs at once.

Lewiston Housing uses standard HCV rules:

• ✅ You cannot pay more than 40% of your income at lease-up.
• ✅ You pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income (your Total Tenant Payment or “TTP”).

Your DRA payment = payment standard for your bedroom size – your TTP, capped at the lower of the unit’s gross rent or the calculated subsidy.

You do! Lewiston Housing pays your DRA subsidy to you each month on a restricted debit card. You pay the full rent directly to your landlord.

Your first payment is loaded once:

1. Your self-inspection checklist is submitted and approved, and
2. The unit meets initial habitability requirements

This payment helps remove barriers at move-in.

Yes. This is called leasing in place.

Any unit that:

• ✅ Has rent that is reasonable compared to the market
• ✅ Meets Maine’s Warranty of Habitability
• ✅ Meets Lewiston’s local municipal code
• ✅ Passes DRA’s self-inspection and formal inspection

Yes, in two stages:

1. Self-inspection by participant before move-in (required before payments begin)
2. Formal inspection by Lewiston Housing within 30 days

Units are inspected every two years afterward.

Under Lewiston Housing’s MTW flexibility, an initial inspection can be waived if one of the following criteria is met:

• ✅ the unit is less than five years old (as demonstrated by a certificate of occupancy, provided by the landlord);
• ✅ the unit has passed an HQS or equivalent inspection within the past three years; or
• ✅ the unit is located in a census tract with a poverty rate below ten percent.

Lewiston Housing may place your DRA funds into escrow until repairs are made. The timeline depends on the severity:

• ✅ 7 days for life-safety issues
• ✅ 30 days for non-life-threatening issues
  ✅ Extensions may be granted for good-faith efforts.

You may be:

• ✅ Supported to relocate
• ✅ Connected to legal aid
• ✅ Able to withhold rent under Maine law

Lewiston Housing will not release escrowed funds until repairs are completed (except when a court orders otherwise).

Yes. Lewiston Housing has a partnership with Pine Tree Legal to help tenants navigate unresolved habitability issues. If you are a DRA participant and need assistance, please call us at (207) 783-1423 for a referral.

DRA participants have full protections under:

• ✅ Maine’s habitability laws
• ✅ The Fair Housing Act
• ✅ Title VI
• ✅ ADA
• ✅ Section 504
• ✅ VAWA (Violence Against Women Act)

Protections include:

• ✅ No discrimination for using public assistance
• ✅ Protection from losing assistance due to domestic violence
• ✅ Emergency transfer options

All participants attend a mandatory briefing that covers:

• ✅ How DRA may interact with benefits like SNAP or SSI
• ✅ How DRA payments work
• ✅ How to complete the self-inspection
• ✅ Tenant rights and fair housing
• ✅ How to advocate for repairs

You can only use DRA in Lewiston Housing’s jurisdiction. If you would like to port out to another jurisdiction, you may be eligible for a Housing Choice Voucher. Please contact our office for more information.

Yes. DRA participants are encouraged to maintain good standing on the HCV waitlist. A preference will be added to allow DRA participants to transition into HCV after the pilot.

You can request a hardship adjustment if something unexpected affects your ability to pay rent.

Requests must:

• ✅ Be made in writing
• ✅ Explain the hardship and expected duration
• ✅ Be sent to Lewiston Housing

Temporary adjustments may be granted while the request is reviewed. Overpayments must be repaid if the request is denied.

Yes. The pilot includes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in partnership with Bates College to understand:

• ✅ Housing stability
• ✅ Leasing success
• ✅ Housing quality
• ✅ Rent burdens
• ✅ Neighborhood mobility
• ✅ Landlord participation