February 22, 2016
Media Alert: For Immediate Release
Contact: Greg Payne, Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, (207)756-0751
PORTLAND – Following over three months of inaction since nearly 70% of Maine voters approved a $15 million general obligation bond to build affordable homes for low-income seniors, the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition is calling on Governor Paul LePage to make clear his intention to respect the will of the people and release that bond.
“Maine’s voters overwhelmingly voiced their support for the use of state bonding resources to address what has become nothing less than a housing crisis for our seniors,” said Greg Payne, director of the Coalition. “While we wait for the state to move forward in implementing the bond, that crisis only grows.”
Efforts by MAHC and its partners to secure even a stated intention by the Governor of releasing the senior housing bond have, to date, been fruitless. Maine State Housing Authority, which is responsible for administering the bond proceeds, has refused to move forward with implementation because the Governor has not provided any indication that he will allow the voter-approved funds to flow.
Meanwhile, community organizations around the state seeking to use the funds to create affordable homes in which seniors can age in place, along with the contractors, architects and engineers who would build them, have grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of action.
The bipartisan bond initiative was proposed in response to a large and growing unmet need for senior housing statewide. A 2015 study by a national research firm found that Maine has a shortage of nearly 9,000 units of affordable housing available to low-income older people, a shortage projected to grow to more than 15,000 by 2022 barring any change to the state’s housing stock.
The bond has the strong support of AARP Maine, the Maine Council on Aging and more than 150 other businesses and organizations, including the Associated General Contractors of Maine, Associated Builders & Contractors of Maine, Maine Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, American Council of Engineering Companies of Maine, Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, Maine Real Estate & Development Association, and Maine Real Estate Managers Association.
