SAVANAH HERNANDEZ REPORTS: First look inside Maine apartments where migrants are getting free rent for up to 2 years

The Brunswick Landing apartments in Maine sparked controversy earlier this year when it was discovered that homeless migrants in the area were getting the opportunity to live in the units rent-free for up to two years. Migrants living in the apartments shared that not only is the rent-free, the utilities are paid and we got an inside look at the furnished apartments that would run the average American about $2,300 dollars. 

An inside look at the units at Brunswick Landing revealed that the apartments, which are currently set to house 60 migrant families, come fully furnished with migrants receiving a couch, table and chair, a flat-screen TV, and even photo frames on the walls for ambiance. "We don't pay anything," one woman from the Congo stated, "but after two years we have to pay the rent," she finished. 

The city of Brunswick has allocated $3.5 million dollars toward paying the migrant's rent and opened it back in February of 2024. The project, which was initially created for Maine residents, sparked outrage as the Maine residents deal with a housing crisis that according to the MaineHousing's "Affordability Index," left "79.1 percent of Maine families unable to afford a home in 2023," according to the Maine Wire. 

While 60 migrant families are living across 5 buildings, it has been reported that Americans can rent out the units, which are marketed as "premiere apartments." However, the average rent for a one-bedroom starts at $1,800 and a two-bedroom starts at $2,300.

The migrants living in the area shared that they were from places such as Angola, Haiti and the Congo expressing that living in the apartments is like "living in a palace." 

The $13 million dollar project is both a combination of public and private funding with migrants being told that once they are approved for a work permit and are able to find a job, 30 percent of their income has to go to their rent. However, it seems that the two years of free rent is guaranteed whether or not they find a job. 

Brunswick is located in Cumberland County, which is one of the counties that received federal funding from the same FEMA program currently under fire for spending almost $1 billion on sheltering illegal immigrants across the US. According to FEMA's Shelter and Service program, the county has received $6.1 million, over the fiscal year of 2023-2024, to shelter migrants. 

FEMA is currently under scrutiny after DHS head, Alejandro Mayorkas, announced that amid Hurricane Helene, which has left parts of North Carolina completely destroyed, FEMA "does not have the funds to make it through the season", with many pointing to the funding instead being diverted to helping illegal immigrants throughout the country instead.