Now accepting referrals and requests for help in Cumberland and York Counties. Call (207) 800-9066.
Who we can help
You may qualify for Bridge to Stability if you:
Rent or own your home in Cumberland or York County, Maine
Are behind on rent or mortgage payments, or have received an eviction or foreclosure notice but still have time before your court date, or can see trouble coming and want to act early
Have household income at or below 50% of the Area Median Income for your county and household size
Not sure where your income falls? Don’t let that stop you from applying — tell us how you’re paid and we’ll do the math with you. If our program isn’t the right fit, we’ll point you to one that is, like MaineHousing’s Eviction Prevention Program or 211 Maine.
How our help works
We believe in honesty up front, so here’s exactly how the program works:
Our first move is always to work with your landlord or lender on a payment arrangement – that conversation alone often stops an eviction.
If direct financial help is needed, it’s available once per 12-month period, up to $2,500, paid directly to your landlord or mortgage holder.
If you owe more than we can cover, we pair our help with a payment plan so your account gets fully caught up – not just patched.
Everyone in the program completes our financial education sessions – they’re required, and they’re where the lasting change happens.
How to apply
Complete the short form below – it takes about five minutes and asks only what we need to get started. We return client calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays – after you submit, you’ll hear from us on the next client day.
Facing a deadline right now? If you have a court date this week or need help within days, don’t wait for us – call Pine Tree Legal Assistance (ptla.org, 207-774-8211) or dial 211 right away. Our program works best early, before deadlines hit – and those partners handle urgent cases every day.
Prefer to talk to a person? Call (207) 800-9066 or email assistance@mainelyempoweringfoundation.org – we’re glad to walk through it with you.
Opens in a secure new window – takes about 5 minutes
What Happens Next
You don’t need anything to reach out. Just tell us what’s happening — the form takes a few minutes and asks nothing you’d have to look up.
We’ll call you back. A quick screening to understand your situation and determine whether you’re eligible. Estimates are fine here — nothing needs to be exact yet.
If you’re eligible, we’ll set up an intake appointment — and tell you exactly what to bring. Every household is different, so we’ll walk you through what applies to you. We verify income and housing costs for everyone we work with. It’s how we make fair, consistent decisions, and it’s what our funders require of us.
We don’t collect documents through this website. We’ll send you a secure link when it’s time to share anything.
What We Do
What we do ourselves: work with you one-on-one to understand your options and deadlines, help you communicate with your landlord or lender, build a household budget, and stay with you through the process.
Where we connect you: emergency financial assistance, legal help, and other programs in your area. We know who to call and we’ll make the introduction — but those decisions belong to those organizations, not to us.
We serve Cumberland and York Counties, and we work with families before an eviction is filed, while there are still options. If your situation falls outside that, we’ll tell you quickly and point you toward who can help.
Find Additional Resources
Use the tool below to find additional community resources near you, including housing, food, utilities, and more.
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Do I Qualify?
To be eligible for Bridge to Stability, you generally need to:
- Be a renter or homeowner in Cumberland or York County, Maine
- Be 1-2 months behind on rent or mortgage payments, OR have received an eviction/foreclosure notice but still have time before your court date
- Have household income at or below 50% of the Area Median Income for your household size
If you already have a court date scheduled, we may not be able to help directly — Pine Tree Legal Assistance (207-942-8322) and 211 Maine can provide support for active eviction cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a cost to request assistance? No, our services are free.
Do I need to already have an eviction notice? No — we encourage people to reach out as early as possible, even if you’re just worried about falling behind.
What documents should I have ready? It’s helpful to have any notices from your landlord or lender, a recent lease or mortgage statement, and information about your household income, though you don’t need everything ready to start.
What areas do you serve? We currently serve Cumberland and York Counties, Maine, with plans to expand as our program grows.