AUGUSTA, Maine - A bipartisan group of lawmakers and housing advocates today urged passaged of a $65 million bond package aimed at creating 1,000 new energy-efficient senior housing units in all 16 Maine counties.
At a news conference on the site of a senior housing project in Augusta, Maine House Speaker Mark Eves, a Democrat from North Berwick, said there is a clear need for more housing.
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"It's incredibly, I think, powerful to be here today in the middle of a construction project to see what we are trying to do, and that is create options for seniors to live independently," Eves said.
Sen. David Burns, a Republican from Whiting, joined Eves in pushing for the bond package. A new report released at the news conference indicates that Maine has a shortage of nearly 9,000 affordable rental homes for low-income older people, and that the shortfall will continue to grow as Mainers age.
