Good News for Mainers Struggling With the Current Housing Shortage

Whether you are looking to buy or rent a home in Maine, you're likely aware that it's not that easy in the current market. As Maine continues to grapple with the long-term impacts of the pandemic, the need for affordable housing has never been in such high demand.

Governor Mills and Maine Housing have made the housing shortage a priority, and just announced that construction will begin on 105 new affordable rental units throughout the state of Maine.

According to maine.gov, the towns and residents that will benefit from the increased inventory are strategically spread throughout the state. and include Hallowell, Newcastle, Rockport, Rumford, Sanford, and Waterville, with all towns expected to get between 16-18 units.

This news is sure to be a beacon of hope for Maine residents struggling to find affordable housing, as many continue to struggle financially due to skyrocketing rents coupled with stagnant wages. This has left low and moderate-income households having to exceed a significant portion of their income in order to keep a roof over their heads for themselves and their families. It has even left many homeless.

A statement from Governor Mills on maine.gov reads in part,

“As a result of a law I signed last week, MaineHousing can move more aggressively to alleviate the housing crunch impacting urban and rural communities in every corner of our state. My Administration will continue to work to increase the availability of comfortable, affordable housing options across Maine.”

 

If you've made it this far in the article, you're probably wondering about one key piece of information that hasn't been mentioned: When can we expect these units to be ready to be occupied? Well, according to maine.gov, construction is expected to take 12 to 18 months, which is of little solidarity to many that are looking for immediate relief. But it's a big step in the right direction.

Lastly, according to News Center Maine, the Greater Portland Council of Governments has a goal of adding 24,000 new homes by the same deadline. Yes, 24,000 – and they hope to have these completed in the same timeline of 12-18 months.