affordable housing

Communities are starting to consider new tools to address the lack of affordable rental housing in Maine's midcoast. On Wednesday, Rockland's City Council opened the issue to the public by hosting a forum on rent stabilization.

A new law, approved by Maine lawmakers and signed by Gov. Janet Mills last month, reduces lot sizes in certain areas, known as designated growth areas, that are served by municipal infrastructure. It also allows more units to be built on a lot.

MaineHousing has awarded $13.4 million in state subsidies for the construction of 129 new affordable rental units in Portland and Lewiston. But they warn these projects could be the last of their kind for some time.

U.S. Agriculture Department mortgages for some 7,600 additional rental properties throughout Maine are reaching maturity and are at risk of being lost to the private market.

The rise in construction costs may be leveling off, but MaineHousing suggested recently proposed tariffs would increase the costs of building materials.

Residents of the Cedar Falls Mobile Home Park voted over the weekend to purchase their community for $8 million.

Supporters say the measure is needed because some landlords have been reportedly charging tenants numerous fees that can drive up monthly costs hundreds of dollars.

As Maine scrambles to build new affordable housing, it’s also a challenge to prevent the loss of existing units. In Maine, there are more than 7,600 affordable apartments that rely on rental assistance from USDA mortgages.

Multi-year state funding for housing initiatives has become a top priority for developers and some lawmakers who are trying to make a dent in Maine's 80,000 unit housing shortage.

Supporters of the measure said hotel developers have not contributed enough to Portland's efforts to add more affordable housing since new inclusionary zoning requirements were approved in 2019.