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DonateQuality Housing Coalition is a 501 (c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization.
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About Us
Our Mission
support and create quality housing opportunities for those in need in Maine
Our Vision
all adults and children in Maine have access to stable housing, good health, and the resources necessary to thrive
The Housing Challenge
Maine is full of active and vibrant small town communities, brimming with restaurants, small businesses, bakeries, coffee shops, breweries, art, music, inland and coastal green spaces, beaches, and trails for all to enjoy. As Maine grows in population and economic productivity in the coming years, our communities are working hard to make space for new job opportunities within our innovative and resilient economy. The biggest obstacle to this growth, however, is the lack of housing.
According to recent studies, Maine is currently in need of 80,000+ new units of housing by 2030 to meet the current and future needs of employees to live and work close to their jobs. With 41% of our 154,000 renters unable to afford the rent, 20,000+ households on the waiting list for Section 8 vouchers, a statewide homeless population exceeding 4,000 people, and too many renters at risk of evictions, this is an urgent challenge that requires immediate attention.
Quality Housing Coalition was created in direct response to this challenge with an understanding that access to stable and affordable housing is the linchpin to good health and financial stability. QHC centers its work around inclusive cross-sector community partnerships by working with municipalities, housing authorities, state and local leaders, housing and homeless advocates, nonprofit and for profit housing developers, tenants, landlords, property managers, and community members to create policies that provide housing, health, and financial stability for those in need in Maine.
Project HOME, QHC's flagship program, provides housing counseling for renters, rental brokerage, tenancy management services, and home health outreach services in partnership with with 100+ landlord partners in Cumberland, York, Androscoggin, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, and Penobscot Counties. Project HOME Trust
provides direct cash assistance to 38 single mothers. Project HOME to Profession
provides tailored workforce preparedness services for our residents, including laptops, wifi, and driver's education in partnership with Maine employers. Project HOME Ownership
provides housing counseling for home ownership education and direct support for Project HOME residents to purchase a home.
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We are a 501 (c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization.
Board of Directors
Brit Vitalius
Brit has been representing buyers and sellers of multi-unit investments since 2004. He founded Vitalius Real Estate Group in 2011 to form a group of specialists to provide a full complement of residential, multi-family and commercial brokerage services to clients.
Brit is in his fourth term as President of the Southern Maine Landlord Association, a group which seeks to keep landlords up-to-date on important issues, trends and regulations. In the wake of the 2015 Noyes Street Fire, Brit became an active participant in multi-unit fire safety issues, and he was asked to serve on Portland's Fire Safety Task Force.
As a Realtor, he serves as a member of the Board of Maine Listings (the Maine MLS). Brit also enjoys his non-real estate community roles as a member of the Board of the Portland Community Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Trustee and Governance committee for the Portland Symphony Orchestra. The Vitalius team is also a proud sponsor of 2 Degrees Portland. In his free time, Brit manages his own portfolio of multi-unit investments in Portland and Yarmouth.
Brit grew up in Yarmouth, before he graduated from Harvard University in 1995. He lives in Yarmouth with his wife, Yasmin, 8-year-old son, Coltrane and 5-year-old daughter, Allegra. He enjoys mountain biking, tennis, and single malt scotch.
Larissa Gahimbare
Larissa is a dedicated community servant who leverages her expertise in supporting individuals facing income and housing insecurity, designing and managing the community support they require to succeed, in her role as a Board Member at QHC. Currently, she serves as the Director of the 166 Riverside Shelter for the City of Portland.
Previously, Larissa served as the Program Manager, overseeing the city's emergency shelters, and worked as a Human Services Counselor at the City of Portland Family Shelter, where she facilitated transitions out of the shelter through social service connections. Before these roles, she gained experience at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Family Independence, and at FEDCAP Rehabilitation Services. At FEDCAP, she contributed to Breaking the Cycle, a program aimed at increasing participation in work-related activities and achieving sustainable employment for adults with families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Larissa loves her Portland community and enjoys taking walks.
Leah Bruns
Leah Bruns works with the Portland Housing Authority as Deputy Executive Director. In her position Leah is responsible for the implementation of all phases of the agency’s administration of approximately 2000 housing vouchers and 20 million in annual voucher funding. This work includes policy development, planning, and compliance for a wide variety of voucher types and initiatives. Leah holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the Muskie School of Public Service, as well as advanced certification in Research and Evaluation Methods, Social Policy Analysis, and Housing Choice Voucher Executive Management. Leah has 30+ years of non-profit experience in Maine, and has focused on building positive relationships, and creating innovative solutions to meet the needs of disenfranchised households throughout the state. Directly preceding her arrival to PHA, Leah managed the Homeless Initiatives Department for MaineHousing. In this position she supervised, led, and managed their day-to-day operations which provides data management, program monitoring, voucher administration, and oversight of more than 6 million in federal and state funds serving the unhoused population in the State of Maine.
Jonathan Culley
Jonathan is the founder and co-owner of Redfern Properties, a Portland-based multi-family housing developer. Redfern focuses on high-quality, energy efficient infill development. He has been developing housing in Maine since 2006. Jonathan also serves as Chair of the Board of Avesta Housing, Maine’s largest non-profit dedicated to providing affordable housing for people in need.
A Maine native, Jonathan has both an undergraduate degree and an MBA from Duke University. He lives in Falmouth with his wife and three children.
Marpheen Chann
Marpheen Chann is an author, writer, thinker, advocate, and speaker on social justice, equity, and inclusion. As a gay, first-generation Asian American born in California to a Cambodian refugee family and later adopted by an evangelical, white working-class family in Maine, Marpheen uses a mix of humor and storytelling to help people view topics such as racism, xenophobia, and homophobia through an intersectional lens.
Marpheen Chann lives in Portland, Maine. He works in the nonprofit and advocacy sector and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine and a law degree from the University of Maine School of Law.
Robert Liscord
Rob is a community economic development attorney at Drummond Woodsum with a practice focused on affordable housing development for households with a range of incomes and needs. He represents housing authorities and nonprofit and for-profit developers in the creation of new and the preservation of existing housing across the state of Maine. A dedicated housing advocate, Rob brings over a decade of experience in affordable housing to his work on the QHC Board, including a background in advocating for tenants, managing homeless service programs, and pushing for policy solutions at the Maine state legislature. He is committed to QHC’s work to ensure that Maine’s housing system works for everyone.
Supporting & creating quality housing opportunities for those in need in Maine.
Quality Housing Coalition is a 501 (c)(3) charitable statewide nonprofit organization in Maine.
Land Acknowledgement
The work of QHC in York, Cumberland, Oxford, Androscoggin, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, and Penobscot counties is conducted on the stolen ancestral lands of the Wabanaki long before colonists named our state Maine.
We acknowledge the painful colonial history harming the Wabanaki and their land and commit to better understanding it.
We acknowledge the strong and personal relationship between the Wabanaki and the land and waterways.
We commit to building more sustainable and inclusive communities and celebrating Indigenous culture.