Nearly 100 individuals gathered at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast on April 28-29 to discuss one of the most important issues affecting the island communities of Maine: affordable housing. The event provided an opportunity for islanders and professionals involved in community development and affordable housing to network, share information and discuss the unique challenges of affordable housing.
Keynote speaker John Abrams opened the event on Friday night and discussed his experience developing affordable housing on Martha’s Vineyard. Abrams, cofounder of an employee-owned design and building company, South Mountain Company, and current board member of the Island Housing Trust, evoked the image of cathedral builders, who never saw their project completed but understood that they were creating a monument, to insist that communities view affordable housing as a long-term effort towards community sustainability.
Abrams put forth three guiding principles for creating sustainable affordable housing: the housing needs to be differently subsidized; the housing should be compact; and it should be constructed with the same high quality and materials as houses for wealthy homeowners.
The housing symposium was organized by Alyson Mayo, an Island Institute Fellow working with Islesboro Affordable Property (IAP). She worked a committee including Joanne Whitehead of IAP, Barbara Stainton of Cranberry Isles Realty Trust, Ron Beard of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant, Sally Perkins of the Island Institute, Marjorie Phyfe of Peaks Island HOMESTART, Terry Kelley from the MDI and Ellsworth Housing Authorities, Jane LaFleur of Friends of Midcoast Maine, Cyndy Carney from Coastal Enterprises Inc., Liza Fleming-Ives from Genesis Community Loan Fund, Emily Lane from Vinalhaven and Rudy Graf of Isle au Haut Community Development Corporation.
On Saturday morning, representatives of various island affordable housing initiatives discussed experiences from their respective projects. Graf, Kelley, Doug Boynton of Monhegan Island Sustainable Community Association and Nancy Wuori of IAP related very different strategies to construct, fund and manage affordable housing, revealing that islands cannot apply a “one size fits all” remedy to affordable housing.
Afterwards, participants attended one of four different breakout sessions. Bob DeForrest of Maine Coast Heritage Trust joined Kelley in describing their efforts with Pooler Farm, a “conservation-minded housing plan” for community housing on Mount Desert, in a session entitled “Bridging Island Community Needs for Land Conservation and Affordable Housing.”
In “Affordability Models,” Al Smith from the City of Bath, Carney and Wouri discussed models of ensuring that housing remains affordable. Models included deed restrictions, cooperatives, community land trusts and resale formulas.
Erin Cooperrider, Development Director of Community Housing of Maine, Vera Rand of Camden National Bank and Pommy Hatfield of Island Commons Resource Center on Chebeague Island focused on financing options for affordable housing groups and projects as well as the requirements for successful grant proposals.
Graf, Boynton, Rick Whiting, Executive Director of Auburn Housing Authority and Sonny Goodwin, a builder and member of Camden Affordable Housing, discussed how to structure an affordable housing organization according to community needs and available resources.
Adam Krea, the Deputy Director of the Maine State Housing Authority, gave a lunchtime address, and the day concluded with an enthusiastic wrap-up session, led by Abrams. Participants were anxious to know how to translate their knowledge into meaningful change, noting that affordable housing was a statewide (not just an island) issue. Abrams advocated cooperation among local, regional and statewide efforts. In Massachusetts, legislation has certainly helped affordable housing initiatives, but Abrams identified the impetus for these efforts as local communities who had identified affordable housing as an issue critical to their survival.
Groups also need to reach out to opponents, said Abrams. “Resolve conflicts before they arise — wouldn’t it be great if the island and coastal communities said to Augusta, `We have all enacted local referendums to aid affordable housing; let’s enact state-wide legislation?’ ”
Cyrus Moulton is an Island Institute Fellow in the Cranberry Isles. Please contact Alyson Mayo at amayo@islandinstitute.org for a copy of the Symposium Proceedings.