Portland-based nonprofit Avesta Housing cut the ribbon this week on the first two homes for sale through a new program designed to help median-income wage earners achieve homeownership.

Located at 6A and 6B Collyer Brook Road in the Cumberland County town of Gray, the first available properties are single-story houses with a shared driveway. Each includes 940 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, one bathroom, a full basement and an attached garage.

The listing price per home is $218,000, less than half the median price for a home in Cumberland County.

The program is called “A Path Forward — Homeownership for ME.”

“A Path Forward is a program built out of both urgency and hope,” Nicole DiGeronimo, director of the homeownership and financial counseling department, said at Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Urgency, because Maine’s housing market continues to make it difficult for middle-income residents to find safe, stable homes within reach. Hope, because we believe that by preserving and rehabilitating existing housing, we can create real opportunities for homeownership where few exist.”