Gov. Janet Mills told Portland area business leaders Thursday that she’s working on issues related to housing and the workforce, but the solutions will take time.

Mills spoke to more than 150 people at the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce Eggs & Issues breakfast, the largest in-person gathering of the organization since before the pandemic, said chamber president Brit Vitalius.

In a 20-minute speech, Mills, a Democrat running for reelection against former Republican Gov. Paul LePage and independent Sam Hunkler, a physician from Beals, outlined many of the economic steps she and the Legislature have taken to try to blunt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Mainers.

That includes the $850 relief checks — supported by Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature — that should start arriving in the mailboxes of most Mainers next week.

“I know that the pandemic is still causing problems,” she said. “Maine people are struggling with exorbitant energy bills and inflation at the pump and at the grocery store, paying more of their hard-earned paycheck just for basics.”

She said the state is using $1 billion in federal funds for various priorities, including affordable housing, child care and the expansion of high-speed internet to everyone who wants it by 2024. With the 8th oldest housing stock in the nation, the state has set aside $50 million for affordable and workforce housing. Of that, $10 million will be used to build 150 single-family dwellings and $20 million will increase rental options in rural areas.

Mills addressed the chamber during her ongoing tour through the state following the adjournment of the legislative session. She said people across the state have told her about the need for more housing, including in Millinocket, where they are expanding the local hospital and in Bath, where Bath Iron Works is hiring workers from out of state who can’t find a place to live.

“It’s a long-term problem, not one that’s going to be solved overnight,” she said during a question-and-answer session with Vitalius. “We are employing federal and state money as best we can and tax incentives to address that issue.”

And in the Portland area, hundreds of asylum seekers and the local homeless population have combined to put added strain on city services. Mills said the state budget includes $22 million in emergency housing relief funds, $750,000 for social services to help those who are displaced and General Assistance funding.

She said senior housing advisor Greg Payne will continue to work with community leaders to try to stem the shortage. But she also said federal reforms are needed, including making it easier for asylum seekers to begin work more quickly.

“The asylum seekers in this area have gone through great hardships to get here,” she said. “They’ve crossed an ocean, they’ve gone through jungles, mountains, sacrificed a great deal to get to America. Many of them come with credentials and expertise, a workforce that we need at all levels.”

The housing shortage is hitting school children as well. Mills said during a tour of South Portland schools a few weeks ago, the superintendent told her that of the 3,000 students enrolled, 300 are homeless.

“That’s an urgent situation,” she said. “That’s something we’re helping with right now. Making sure that kids don’t suffer disruption in their own lives because of parent issues, economic issues that prevent them from getting a consistent education in our public schools.”