PORTLAND, Maine — NBT Bank has donated $25,000 to Avesta Housing’s Silver Hearth Fund to help provide affordable housing and services for older adults in Maine and New Hampshire. Avesta provides safe, affordable quality homes to more than 4,500 people each year, half of whom are ages 55 and older. Still, the need for affordable
PORTLAND (WGME) — The need for more housing is a crisis that’s only become worse during the pandemic. Maine officials are now looking to cut the red tape that can hold back housing projects. Click here to read the full article
LEWISTON, Maine — The first phase of construction for Lewiston’s Choice Neighborhoods initiative is closer to reality after receiving additional funding. The city and its development partners, including Avesta Housing, were awarded MaineHousing tax credits toward the first of three major sites – a 74-unit mixed-income development between Pine, Walnut, Bartlett and Pierce streets. Click
Avesta has been awarded two 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) awards and four Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston Affordable Housing Program (AHP) awards. This represents almost $20 million in equity and subsidy funding that will help build much-needed affordable housing in Maine. The developments that received awards are: Village Commons in Scarborough
Somalia was on the verge of civil war when Deqa Dhalac fled the capital city of Mogadishu 31 years ago and began her journey to become the first Somali-American mayor in the United States. On December 6, 2021, she was formally seated as the top elected leader of Maine’s fourth largest city. Her latest accomplishment
Recommendations from the Commission to Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Zoning and Land Use Restrictions include eliminating single-family zoning, allowing in-law apartments as a matter of right and removing municipal growth caps. Click here to read the full article
Avesta Housing has received a $75,000 grant from the Five Together Foundation to address the affordable housing crisis in the state. Established in 2005, the Five Together Foundation supports initiatives in youth leadership and development, services to families in need, and preservation of American democracy. The grant will provide Avesta with the means to cover
Avesta Housing has created a new staff role to safeguard housing stability for older adults living in our properties. This “senior support specialist” will provide one-on-one support to senior residents with mental health issues who are struggling with day-to-day tasks necessary for independent living. The program’s goal is to ensure residents receive the help they
Photo: The Kanakan family, left to right — Andom, Mitchell, Jonathan, and Jeannicaise Buying a house can be a stressful experience, especially when it’s your first home. Add a red-hot real estate market to the mix, and it may seem like an unobtainable dream. That’s how Jeannicaise and Andom Kanakan felt last spring when they
The past 19 months have not been easy for nonprofits in Maine. The COVID-19 pandemic, wage uncertainty, worker shortage, rising costs of goods and services, and more have forced many to rethink their fundraising strategies and day-to-day operations. Avesta Housing is no different. Read about how we have addressed these tumultuous times and what we
