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GENERAL ASSISTANCE POLICY Updated 10/01/2025 1 As provided by Chapter 46 of the Code of Ordinances, the City Council hereby establishes the following allowed maximum amounts for food, housing, personal/household supplies, utilities, heating fuel, clothing, burial, cremation, and transportation expenses for persons eligible to receive assistance in accordance with the standards of eligibility. MAXIMUM AMOUNTS The total maximums allowed for general assistance, which are 110% of HUD guidelines (10/01/2025 - 09/30/2026), are: No. in Household Weekly 1 229.77 988.00 2 254.19 1093.00 3 324.42 1395.00 4 425.35 1829.00 5 472.09 2030.00 6 489.53 2105.00 Each additional person in the household will be budgeted at $75.00 per person per month. FOOD (Effective 10/01/2025 – 09/30/2026) The maximum amounts allowed for food are: No. in Household Weekly 1 69.30 298.00 2 126.98 546.00 3 182.56 785.00 4 231.16 994.00 5 275.12 1183.00 6 330.47 1421.00 7 365.35 1571.00 8 416.05 1789.00 Each additional person in the household will be budgeted at $218 per month. The administrator will exceed the above maximums when necessary for households having members with special dietary needs. The administrator may require a doctor's statement. ---PAGE BREAK--- GENERAL ASSISTANCE POLICY Updated 10/01/2025 2 HOUSING (Effective 10/01/2025 - 09/30/2026) The maximum amounts allowed for housing are: Unheated Weekly 0 Bedroom 196.00 844.00 1 Bedroom 212.00 911.00 2 Bedroom 271.00 1164.00 3 Bedroom 361.00 1551.00 4 Bedroom 394.00 1695.00 Heated Weekly 0 Bedroom 225.00 967.00 1 Bedroom 249.00 1070.00 2 Bedroom 318.00 1368.00 3 Bedroom 418.00 1798.00 4 Bedroom 464.00 1994.00 Housing rates apply to rooms/efficiencies, apartments, shelters, and mortgage payments. Room should include everything except kitchen and bathroom facilities. Efficiency should include kitchen and bathroom facilities. Applicants requesting assistance for housing that contains more bedrooms than are necessary for the number of household members will be provided assistance according to the maximum level for the number of rooms actually needed. RECOVERY RESIDENCE (Effective10/01/2025 – 09/30/2026) The maximum amounts allowed for housing in a recovery residence are: Weekly 25 beds or less 186.75 802.50 26+ beds 130.73 561.75 ---PAGE BREAK--- GENERAL ASSISTANCE POLICY Updated 10/01/2025 3 PERSONAL/HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES Expenses for ordinary personal and household supplies will be budgeted and allowed according to the applicant's actual need for these items, up to the maximums below. No. in Household Weekly 1-2 $ 10.50 $ 45.00 3-4 11.60 50.00 5-6 12.80 55.00 7-8 14.00 60.00 Each additional person will be budgeted at $5.00 per month. When an applicant can verify expenditures for the following items, a special supplement will be budgeted as necessary for households with children under 5 years of age for items such as cloth or disposable diapers, laundry powder, oil, shampoo, and ointment up to the following amounts: No. of Children Weekly 1 $ 12.80 $ 55.00 2 17.40 75.00 3 23.30 100.00 4 27.90 120.00 UTILITIES – ELECTRIC (Effective 10/01/2025 – 09/30/2026) The maximum amounts allowed for utilities are: without hot water No. In Household Weekly 1 19.95 85.50 2 22.52 96.50 3 24.97 107.00 4 27.53 118.00 5 29.88 128.50 6 32.55 139.50 Each additional person will be budgeted at $10.50 per month ---PAGE BREAK--- GENERAL ASSISTANCE POLICY Updated 10/01/2025 4 with hot water No. In Household Weekly 1 29.63 127.00 2 34.07 146.00 3 39.67 170.00 4 46.32 198.50 5 55.65 238.50 6 58.68 251.50 Each additional person will be budgeted at $14.50 per month HEATING FUEL The maximum amounts allowed for heating fuel are: Month Gallons September 50 October 100 November 200 December 200 January 225 February 225 March 125 April 125 May 50 CLOTHING Clothing will be budgeted at $20.00 per person per month when the general assistance administrator finds it necessary to authorize clothing. BURIAL The maximum amount of general assistance granted for the purposes of burial is $1,620.00, with additional payments, where there is an actual cost, for the wholesale cost of a liner if the cemetery bylaws require one, the opening and closing of the gravesite, and a lot in the least expensive section of the cemetery. If the municipality is able to provide a cemetery lot in a municipally-owned cemetery or in a cemetery under municipal control, or in a cemetery that donates the lots to the city, the cost of the cemetery lot in any other cemetery will not be paid by the municipality. ---PAGE BREAK--- GENERAL ASSISTANCE POLICY Updated 10/01/2025 5 CREMATION The maximum amount of assistance granted for cremation shall be $1,125.00, with additional payments where there is an actual cost, for the wholesale cost of a liner, if the cemetery bylaws require one, and a cremation lot in the least expensive section of the cemetery. If the municipality is able to provide a cemetery lot in a municipally-owned cemetery or in a cemetery under municipal control, or in a cemetery that donates the lots to the city, the cost of the cemetery lot in any other cemetery will not be paid by the municipality. TRANSPORTATION This municipality adopts the State of Maine travel expenses reimbursement rate as set by the Office of the State Controller. The current rate for approved employment and necessary medical travel, etc., is 54 cents per mile. PENALTY - Confidentiality of information A civil penalty of not less than $30.00 nor more than $100.00. Note: This penalty is outlined in the City Code of Ordinances Chapter 46 General Assistance, Article I In General.