Strategic partnerships and creative solutions are needed to address the current housing crisis. As part of our efforts to engage our community and seek collaborative solutions to this unprecedented challenge, on February 14, Avesta Housing partnered with the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce to host a roundtable discussion on the affordable housing crisis with area business leaders. The goal was to gather information from some of the major employers in the Greater Portland area on how the crisis has affected their businesses and to open a dialogue on how we can come together to forge new solutions.

Every employer present expressed that the housing crisis has impacted their ability to recruit and retain talent across a spectrum of wage levels. A combination of low housing stock, increasing rents, high mortgage rates, and skyrocketing real estate costs are preventing these employers from maintaining a stable workforce. And that instability can affect Maine residents in myriad ways, from access to medical care and childcare to the availability of affordable goods and services.

“The discussion allowed us to hear firsthand the challenges employers are facing around the lack of housing of all levels in our region,” said Quincy Henztel, president and CEO of the Chamber. “There was a commitment from the business community to tackle this issue collaboratively, and we look forward to furthering these discussions and developing creative opportunities for employers to be a part of the solution.”

We are excited to begin the conversation about these solutions with community partners, and the recent roundtable was only the start of what we and the Chamber hope will be a continued discussion with the Maine business community.