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Portland housing developers struggle to meet market needs — Feb 21, 2012
"We like doing innovative, niche-type housing," says Totman. "There are too many people living in sub-standard housing or paying too much of their income [for housing]. There is a fundamental mismatch to what our housing supply is to what our population requires." More...Fred, "Mayor of Meadowview" — Feb 15, 2012
Fred Scott is known as the "Mayor of Meadowview", due to his natural inclination for discourse and unanimous popularity among the other residents. Small gestures, such as a neighbor making him a home-cooked meal, make an important impression on Fred. He laughs in disbelief as he boasts of the kindness his fellow residents bestow upon him. He loves to talk, and his life as a fireman, furniture mover, and truck driver have left him with many stories to tell. His social life begins every morning at 10:30am when all the residents of Meadowview Apartments gather in the common room to wait for the mailman. "I need to be with people I can talk to. I like to get along with everyone."
Fred holds those he loves especially close. His wife, Florence, bore Fred 8 children. Their daughter who passed away at the age of 2 still holds a special place in Fred's heart and her photograph hangs on his living room wall. Fred spent most of his life with Florence; he speaks of her often, and calls her "Mumma" as the whole family must’ve referred to her.
"I'm spared for a reason, but I don't know what it is," Fred says as he contemplates his new life upon Florence's passing November of 2010; he confesses it feels as though he’s living without an essential part of his own being. To Fred, Florence is a constant. She is always with him. She followed him up to Waldoboro, and they spent their lives together raising their children in central Maine, scraping together a living as Fred was compelled to retire early after the Boston riots against firemen 1971. As a couple, they found solace in their supportive friends and friendly community at church. But as with many families, they met with their fair share of dysfunction.
Later in life, Fred and Florence tried their luck at many different living situations. They spent time in affordable housing but were also invited into a few of their children’s homes over the years. At one point, they even moved to their son’s home in Indiana hoping they would be able to split their time between both their son’s and one of their daughter’s families who was located just over the Illinois line. Much to Fred and Florence’s dismay the two children were on bad terms with each other and both were unwilling to bury the hatchet in order to help foster a situation where Fred and Florence could develop a relationship with their grandchildren. Instead their kids used them as a means to hurt each other. Fred and Florence moved back to Maine, and it was in 2009 that Florence’s Alzheimer’s worsened.
When Florence passed away a year later, Fred hoped that her funeral would finally bring the children together. He was grieving, making arrangements for the funeral (one that is still not fully paid for as his children have not settled on exactly how much each one is willing to pay), and trying to gather his family together; trying to give them a reason to put their differences aside. This was not to be, and as Fred tells his story without pointing a finger of guilt at any one person, it’s clear that he remains hopeful that his children will find that peace with each other one day.
After the funeral, Fred moved in to his daughter’s home. Fred found himself alone in a house with a son-in-law whose behavior struck Fred as disrespectful and unacceptable. “Every sentence he used foul language, and I don’t like to be around that. I couldn’t talk to him,” Fred explains. It was a difficult year dealing with the loss of his soul-mate and finding himself with no one to talk to. “I never thought I’d be without Mumma, I never thought I’d be the last one left.” Statistically it is far more probable for a wife to outlive her husband, and Fred’s sentiment is a common one among elderly widowers. But his faith and his hope helped him to a better place and he applied again for affordable housing. It was just a few months after that he was accepted for a unit in Avesta’s Meadowview Apartments. Now it seems Fred has found the right place to settle. He may not reconcile his children’s quarrels, and he will always miss his Florence, but in a home filled with colorful characters of whom Fred claims are “all wonderful and filled with great stories,” Fred is both engaged and engaging in the lives of his peers; people that he loves to talk to.
Fred Scott
resident, Meadowview in Gray
A Few Minutes with John Ryan — Feb 1, 2012
John Ryan co-owns Wright-Ryan Construction, Inc., a company that builds many projects throughout Maine. We sat down with him to see what interests a businessman like John Ryan in nonprofit development and to better understand how projects like these help the community at large.
Tyler DeVos: How does a typical project impact the work force during construction?
John Ryan: When building a typical property with Avesta, Wright-Ryan (through subcontractors) may employ up to 100 workers on a project, daily, during peak periods. This doesn’t include the work that happens off site. The amount of job creation (spawned by a typical Avesta Housing project) filters out very broadly.
TD: Why is it important to develop housing in neighborhoods with a more concentrated population?
JR: There are a lot of historic projects in desirable neighborhoods happening right now because the tax credit system in Maine is so favorable. You need to try to build housing where the people are. So we ask ‘where are the people who need housing?’ They’re here, in downtown Portland, in downtown Lewiston.
TD: What makes Avesta a good developer to work with?
JR: Avesta has a clear vision. They know they’re going to be managing their properties for the long term and the quality of their work reflects this. Avesta is willing to take risks that most agencies won’t. They’ll think about housing for the chronically homeless, for victims of abuse. Affordable housing has been one of the very few bright spots in the construction economy for the past 3 years.
Housing strategy pays off in Westbrook — Jan 26, 2012
Avesta Housing, based in Portland, is planning to renovate two buildings once used by St. Hyacinth Church, turning both into complexes offering one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments to lower-income families, according to Deborah Keller, director of programs at Avesta. More...Avesta Housing hosts a free tax prep day with United Way, CA$H Coalition and Gorham Savings Bank — Jan 22, 2012
Keep every dollar you qualify for on your income tax refund More...So. Berwick council meets with Avesta on senior housing plan — Jan 22, 2012
A proposed Young Street housing complex for the elderly would require a zoning change to allow more residential units per building, officials determined Tuesday at a workshop with Avesta Housing.
More...Bob Moss, Boston Capital — Jan 22, 2012
Lisa's Story — Jan 19, 2012
Artistic, intelligent, and talented, Lisa Wallace was accepted and attended Oberlin’s conservatory of music out of high school. Though she loved singing, she soon dropped out and went to nursing school. She worked as a nurse for 10 years, but then worked as a book keeper, then an inn owner, and finally as a grade school secretary. “I still don’t know what I’m going to be when I grow up,” Lisa jokes after listing all of her past jobs. Though, at the time, she worried why she had such an inability to focus and invest in a career path. She found herself crippled by her anxieties. While still working as a secretary, Lisa developed a psychogenic stutter. She couldn’t get through a sentence when answering the phone at school, and she took a medical leave of absence.
This small, psychologically-triggered malfunction of speech, which still occurs when Lisa gets overly worried or excited, led to the diagnoses of larger issues that had plagued Lisa her whole life and made it nearly impossible for her to succeed professionally. She was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, major anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder along with fibromyalgia (deep pain felt in the muscles, joints, and tendons, often linked with depression). She was prescribed medication but could not return to work, and with no income she was unable to make her mortgage payments. So her family made them for her until she could sell the house, suffer only minor debt, and move back in with her mother. “You can imagine the feelings of shame and guilt I had,” Lisa reflects on that difficult period of her life. “I was miserable.” That shame and guilt coupled with her natural predisposition to depressive behavior convinced Lisa try to take her own life, her first of 5 suicide attempts. People everywhere live with depression and suffer from these sorts of ideations. But if you were to knock on Lisa’s door at Avesta Housing’s Cousens School apartment building in Kennebunk today, you’d find a very different sort of person.
Lisa waited on a list for a year before she was offered a unit at Cousens School which opened in 2008 and has lived there ever since. The housing provided Lisa with stability and a space of her own that she could make into a home she could take pride in. With that stability she found herself very active within the community. She lost 50lbs since moving in and the first year she lived in Cousens she ran a resident council. She finally had enough spending money to be able to buy small gifts for the children in the building during Christmas. She enjoyed crafting artful packaging for the gifts. She took an art class and learned how to use markers. Her work hangs on her apartment walls and are so well drawn they look like inventive interpretations of famous impressionists. She also writes poetry, makes origami, and she and a friend knit together. In the summer she enjoys knitting outside by the playground where she can interact with the other families that live in the building and listen to the children play.
As Lisa tells her story, she laughs and sometimes digresses while exploring other topics she finds interesting. She is curious about other people’s lives and loves relating to everyone in the room. She makes intricate connections between what people tell her and what she’s experienced in her own life, and she’s certain to teach those fortunate enough to speak with her a bevy of new vocabulary words. When asked what she thinks has helped contribute to this healthier, happier state of mind, Lisa replies “Drugs,” referring to her medication, then laughs. “No, it’s a combination of the right medication formula, a great medical team, great friends, and great socialization.” Then she sighs and adds “It took a while to get here.”
Those who know about depression and similar mental illnesses know that, for a woman like Lisa, her productivity and sense of personal contribution within her community is what fuels her happiness and her ability to function independently. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to live their own life.” Without the foundation her apartment provides, where would Lisa be now? Luckily that is not a question that needs answering, and instead Lisa meets with her friends and confides in them that she’s so excited for her son’s wedding this September. She has already started ordering dresses so she can pick out the perfect one.
Lisa Wallace, resident
Counsens School Apartments, Kennebunk
Boston Capital Invests $9.8M in Affordable Multifamily Development in Portland, ME — Jan 18, 2012
Located in downtown Portland, Pearl Place II will feature 26 one-bedroom, 17 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom units in one, five-story building. The construction of this property will generate $3.9 million in local income and create approximately 82 jobs in the Portland area.
More...Avesta’s 8 low-income housing projects estimated to add 250 homes, cost $55M — Jan 12, 2012
A flurry of construction in the Portland area will provide new housing options for the area’s low-income residents. Oak Street Lofts is just one of eight Avesta Housing projects either in the queue or in various stages of construction. More...Meet Pauline — Jan 11, 2012
Pauline Furman turned 89 in October this past year, and has lived in her Birch Lane apartment managed by Avesta Housing for the better part of a decade. An interior decorating enthusiast, she has adorned her walls with beautifully framed Victorian sketches and shelves of antique china she inherited from relatives. Modestly and gracefully, Pauline has made a home for herself in Gorham one way or another for a very long time. She and her husband built their house in Gorham in 1955, and her family has even deeper roots in western Maine. Over the years Pauline cared for her grandmother, then took care of her mother, and now she has two daughters (whom she refers to as her two angels) who help take care of her.
"I'm an awful lucky old woman," she says with a smile after listing all her family and friends who shop for her groceries, help balance her check book, and call or stop in every day. But Pauline's life has suffered its fair share of tragedy as well. In 1998 she and her husband, Merritt, had moved into a trailer park in their new mobile home on a Saturday, and on Sunday he passed away. "I miss him more and more every day." Pauline says, but is also careful to note how lucky she was that she and Merritt were able to travel to every state in the continental USA. She still has the photo albums from their various adventures. Pauline didn't feel she could stay in that trailer without Merritt but she did as she waited four years before receiving a call telling her she could move into one of the apartments at Birch Lane.
"The people here are wonderful." Pauline proclaims of her neighbors and of Sara Forgione, the resident service coordinator at Birch Lane apartments who confirms that the residents here have formed a community where everyone looks out for everyone else. This is absolutely invaluable to someone like Pauline who, as she approaches the 90-year-mark, has come to rely on a support system of people to help her with the things that she cannot do for herself anymore; although Pauline hasn’t given up her passions easily. She golfed until the age of 83 and still completes puzzles on a small work space in her living room. And she remains ever grateful to those who help her.
"I don't know why they all want to help me. I'm no different than anyone else." Pauline states this after remarking that she's not sure her life is interesting enough to write about. Of course after meeting her, it's easy to see that her selflessness, sense of humor, and understated warm amiability make her as compelling a subject as anyone.
Robert J. Pelletier, Area Specialist, Rural Development — Jan 11, 2012
As always, the Avesta team has done an excellent job in the development of this old school house into affordable housing. Not many developers could handle this type of complex deal.Logan Place Resident — Jan 11, 2012
Today is my five-year anniversary at Logan Place; I moved in January 27, 2006. I am thrilled. I am so thrilled. When I moved in here five years ago I used to sit in the lobby while they were giving tours. They used to ask me then what I thought about it and my answer today is still the same. Build ten more.William Floyd, Executive Director, The Genesis Fund — Jan 11, 2012
We are proud of our partnership with Avesta that resulted in seven different affordable housing projects for some of Maine's most vulnerable residents. We are grateful for our shared passion and advocacy for affordable housing.Anna Joyce, Resident, Pearl Place — Jan 11, 2012
I just love living here. If I don’t say it out loud I definitely say it to myself everyday how happy I am to be here.Mark Swann, Preble Street, Executive Director — Jan 11, 2012
Avesta Housing has changed the conversation about affordable housing in Portland.One Lofty Idea — Dec 27, 2011
Construction of affordable housing geared to artists draws 200 applicants for 37 units.
More...Avesta Housing Honors Gorham Savings Bank with 2011 Mike Yandell Award — Nov 14, 2011
On October 19, 2011, Avesta Housing hosted an Appreciation Luncheon at Grace Restaurant in Portland thanking partners for sharing their commitment to providing quality, affordable housing for Maine Communities. At the event, Avesta Housing honored Gorham Savings Bank with the annual Mike Yandell Award in recognition of their significant contribution to affordable housing.
More...Avesta to break ground on Park Street School project — Sep 23, 2011
Avesta Housing is planning to break ground later this month on an $8 million project converting the former Park Street School into senior housing. More...'A fundamental mismatch to the supply of housing' — Aug 23, 2011
It’s been a busy summer for Avesta Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer that currently has eight projects underway from Portland to Kennebunk.
More...Avesta Housing staff featured in MaineHousing publication — Jun 28, 2011
Avesta Housing staff member Kathleen Murphy More...Florence House Receives Honorable Mention in 2011 Edson Awards — Apr 25, 2011
The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition awards Florence House an Honorable Mention in the 2011 Charles L Edson Awards.
More...Avesta Board of Directors Elects Officers — Mar 18, 2011
A new slate of Board Officers were elected at the March 2011 Avesta Board meeting.
More...IVS Receives Funds to Purchase Van — Dec 17, 2010
People's United Bank awarded matching funds for the purchase of a handicapped accessible van for the Inn at Village Square. More...Avesta Hosts Russian Affordable Housing Contingent — Dec 7, 2010
A group from Archangel, Russia visits Avesta to discuss affordable housing. More...Avesta Housing Wins ‘Housing for Everyone’ Grant From TD Charitable Foundation — Nov 23, 2010
TD Bank’s charitable giving arm, the TD Charitable Foundation, awarded $100,000 to Avesta Housing as part of the bank’s ‘Housing for Everyone’ program.
More...Proposal would add affordable housing to Portland's Bayside neighborhood — Nov 9, 2010
Additional affordable housing may be coming to the Bayside neighborhood. More...NeighborWorks CEO Ken Wade Joins HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and Other Dignitaries at New England Events — Jun 30, 2010
NeighborWorks CEO Ken Wade applauds the efforts of Avesta Housing president Dana Totman.More...
Florence House Named Finalist in Affordable Housing Finance Readers' Choice Awards — Jun 18, 2010
Avesta Housing is the first affordable housing developer from Maine to be named a finalist for this award in its six year history. More...Avesta gets green light on Park Street School project — Jun 1, 2010
Construction expected to be complete by end of 2011 More...Long-Awaited Housing for Homeless Women Opens — May 30, 2010
National, State and Local leaders gather to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Florence House. More...Council backs selling half of school site to housing agency — May 11, 2010
But some neighbors say the plan to build 16 units will further limit parking on Munjoy Hill. More...Rep. Michael Carey Appointed to Avesta Housing Board of Directors — Apr 28, 2010
Avesta Housing announces the appointment of Maine State Representative Michael Carey to the Avesta Housing Board of Directors. More...Adams School redevelopment back on — Apr 12, 2010
Stalled plans to convert the former Adams School site into affordable housing are back on track thanks to a fresh infusion of federal economic stimulus cash. More...Florence House ready to serve homeless women — Apr 1, 2010
Advocates for the homeless are excited about the opening of a new permanent home set to open to serve the needs of homeless women in Portland.
More...Avesta Commences $5.6M Munjoy Commons Renovation Project in Portland's East End Neighborhood — Jan 27, 2010
January 27, 2010 marked the start of a 16 month, $5.6 million dollar renovation of the 39 units of affordable rental housing in Munjoy Commons. More...State Legislatures Visit Pearl Place — Jan 22, 2010
On Thursday, January 22nd, Avesta welcomed more than 60 state legislators to our 60-unit Pearl Place development in Portland. More...Avesta Housing Announces New Board Members — Jan 1, 2010
Avesta announces new board members. More...Avesta Preserves 25 units of Elderly Housing in Androscoggin County — Jan 1, 2010
Avesta Housing purchased the Depot Street property, preserving these needed affordable apartments. More...Avesta Housing presents the Mike Yandell Award — Jan 1, 2010
Avesta Housing recently awarded Ben Walter, principal of CWS Architects in Portland, the Mike Yandell Award. More...Avesta Receives Financing for Oak Street Project in Portland — Dec 1, 2009
Avesta Housing has been awarded low income housing tax credits from MaineHousing.More...
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place — Nov 1, 2009
Avesta's Logan Place featured in the November issue of DownEast Magazine. More...Avesta featured on State of the State — Jul 14, 2009
Avesta featured on 'State of the State' - Housing and the 124th Legislative Session More...Avesta Supporting Affordable Housing Bond Bill — Jul 1, 2009
Avesta supports a bill proposing to create energy efficient, affordable housing. More...National Low Income Housing Coalition Welcomes New Board Member from Maine — Apr 18, 2009
The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) Board of Directors elected Greg Payne as one of six new members to serve on the board at its April 18, 2009 meeting in Washington, DC. More...Portland building wins design award — Mar 27, 2009
Pearl Place, a 60-unit affordable housing development at the corner of Oxford and Pearl streets in Portland's Bayside neighborhood, has received two national awards for its green design.More...
Park Street School proposal defeated — Jan 31, 2009
Record numbers turn out for Town Meeting. More...Avesta Housing To Become Chartered Affiliate of NeighborWorks® America — Nov 1, 2008
Avesta's participation in the network will strengthen NeighborWorks' influence in Northern New England. More...Cousens School Transitions to Affordable Apartments — Nov 1, 2008
Avesta Housing celebrated the grand opening of Cousens School Apartments with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, October 29, 2008More...
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