The Portland City Council has voted to approve tax breaks for two senior housing developments. The council had originally approved selling city land for one of the projects with the understanding that it would be open to all ages.
Councilor Kim Cook spoke against the developer's move to restrict the age of residents to 55 plus.
“We're in the midst of a housing crisis in Portland,” said Cook. “We need housing for all age groups, I think, and across an array of income levels.” While some of the units for those 55-and-older would be market rate, most would be rented to lower income residents. The city council could also award federal and local money to help fund these projects
The two developments, which have a total of 91 units, are being reviewed by the Portland Planning Board.
Additional reporting by Nora Flaherty.
