New Data from Avesta Housing Reveals Large and Growing Unmet Affordable Housing Needs
Portland, Maine – Avesta Housing, the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in northern New England, has released a report documenting the growing unmet housing needs it has encountered between 2014 and 2017. New applications for Avesta’s affordable homes rose by 24% over the past four years, while scarce resources to build new apartments coupled with very limited turnover in Avesta’s existing portfolio resulted in relatively few new households served.
“Avesta is committed to doing all we can to make sure that everyone has an affordable place to call home, but the ever-widening gap between the number of people who need our housing and the number of homes we have available represents a crisis that demands more, not less, public engagement,” said Dana Totman, President & CEO of Avesta Housing. “We hope that federal and state lawmakers will respond to the growing unmet housing needs in our communities with a growing commitment to addressing them.”
The recently enacted federal tax reform bill is expected to reduce affordable housing production in Maine by about 10% going forward, and Congressional leaders are currently negotiating proposed cuts to federal programs that support the development of new affordable homes.
For additional data on Avesta Housing’s applications and new household move-ins, go to https://www.avestahousing.org/our-news/statistics/.
About Avesta Housing
Avesta Housing is a nonprofit affordable housing provider with over 40 years of experience as a leader in affordable housing development and property management in southern Maine and New Hampshire. The organization is headquartered in Portland, Maine and currently has more than 80 properties and 2,400 apartments in its portfolio. Avesta’s mission is to improve lives and strengthen communities by promoting and providing quality affordable homes for people in need. Its five areas of focus are advocacy, development, property management, senior and assisted living, and home ownership. www.AvestaHousing.org
