Week after week, Maine State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin has waged an assault on MaineHousing. These attacks are baseless, yet Poliquin continues his witch hunt by smearing an agency that does a lot of good for a lot of Maine people.

MaineHousing has helped nearly 90,000 Maine people this year alone. Its goal, to make housing affordable — and safe — has remained true to its mission for more than 40 years. The agency is also a model for how the public and private sectors can work together successfully and efficiently. However, Poliquin chooses to ignore the facts and uses distortion and dishonesty to relentlessly pursue a “gotcha moment” that doesn’t exist.

I believe most Mainers prefer meaningful conversation instead of a witch hunt rife with political rhetoric and unsubstantiated claims. His continued smear campaign does nothing more than divide us against each other.

At issue for Poliquin seems to be the “per unit” cost of recently built and proposed affordable housing projects. But the fact is, the “per unit” cost for a multifamily apartment building is not comparable to the cost of a single-family house — and Poliquin knows that.

Multifamily apartment buildings are built to commercial-building standards that include a lot of requirements not found in single-family homes, such as sprinkler systems, elevators, multiple parking spaces, sound insulation between apartment units and other accommodations required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Multifamily apartment buildings also pre-pay for future major capital repairs.

Poliquin’s continued comparison of single-family housing and multifamily housing is wrong and is misleading Maine people.

He also attacked the construction standards set forth by MaineHousing. At a time when many Mainers are in search of jobs, additional income, or lower health care costs, Poliquin suggests hiring people for less money and not providing health insurance.

How does that help Maine people?

The truth is, cutting corners will cost all of us.

Another fact: Costs for MaineHousing projects have not increased since 2006. In fact, costs have been controlled so successfully that the MaineHousing-funded portion of multifamily projects is the same as it was prior to 2006.

Poliquin is using the bully pulpit for his own interest, his own social agenda — not an actual concern or interest of Maine taxpayers, affordable housing — or even the facts.

If he looked at the facts, he might actually understand the good work of MaineHousing.

Maine needs leaders who put our best interests ahead of extreme partisan rhetoric. There is no room in this state for a constitutional officer to participate in politics; he is elected to serve all of the people’s interests, not forward his own partisan agendas.

Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, represents Senate District 16.