11/23: Bangor is building less new housing than far smaller Maine towns
“In Maine, over the last like 10 years or so, economic growth and the growth in available jobs has been more concentrated in the Greater Portland area, which goes all the way down to York County,” James Myall, an economist with the liberal Maine Center for Economic Policy, said. “So there probably is a greater demand for housing there.”
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11/23: From the Ground Up: Supporting Legislation to Continue Tackling the Housing Shortage
To continue meeting this moment, we are focusing on initiatives that will make building easier. On Nov. 14, I testified before the Joint Select Committee on Housing in support of two bills that strive to support home production. The first bill is LD 1134, An Act to Improve Housing Affordability by Amending the Definition of “Subdivision” Under the Site Location of Development Law, which I sponsored.
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11/22: New shelter for asylum seekers opening in Portland
PORTLAND, Maine — Since nearly 300 asylum seekers were bussed out of Portland over the summer, Martha Stein said the demand for housing has not slowed down at the Hope House, a transitional housing facility in Portland for asylum seekers. "We wish we had a place for everyone, but we do the best we can," Stein said. Stein estimates that while her organization housed 250 asylum seekers in Portland this year, hundreds remain homeless in the city as the winter approaches.
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11/20: Saco Planning Department publishes accessory dwelling unit guidebook
As communities across Maine look to make progress on the issue of housing, Saco has published a guidebook to help residents better understand accessory dwelling units. The 10-page packet gives background information on ADUs, lists benefits, provides a cost/benefit worksheet, offers design and construction best practices, and links to further educational resources. “As our department receives questions about Accessory Dwelling Units, we tried to help answer these questions and provide a resource for residents who want to learn more about Accessory Dwelling Units,” said City Planner Emily Cole-Prescott. “Similar guides can be found in other communities, so we thought it would be great to have a resource specific to Saco.”
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11/18: Ecomaine gets $2 million grant to promote recycling among residents of multifamily homes
Ecomaine, a Portland recycling and waste-to-energy facility that serves 74 communities, has received a $2 million federal grant to promote recycling among apartment dwellers and residents of other multifamily homes in Maine. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the grant from the Environmental Protection Agency will support Ecomaine’s “effort to increase Maine’s recycling rate through outreach to residents of multifamily dwelling units.”
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11/18: Developer plans to create apartments for seniors in former Oxford woolen mill
OXFORD — A nonprofit organization has purchased the former Robinson woolen mill next to Thompson Lake to develop it into 70-plus apartments for seniors, the Board of Selectmen was told Thursday night. The Caleb Group of Lynn, Massachusetts, bought the 5-acre property at 283 King St. on Nov. 9. It develops and manages affordable housing in 30 communities throughout New England, including Lewiston, Bangor, Portland, Old Orchard Beach, Biddeford, Saco, Sanford and North Berwick, Maine.
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11/14: Avesta hires former Maine House speaker from Biddeford
Avesta Housing, at nonprofit affordable housing provider in northern New England, has hired former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Ryan Fecteau for a newly formed role of senior officer of policy and planning. As a member of Avesta’s real estate development team, he will support Avesta’s organizational advocacy efforts and work on municipal-level coordination to move new affordable housing developments through key milestones.
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