Some of the hundreds of rural Mainers who bought their homes through a government loan program soon could be hit by what state housing advocates have called a “tsunami” of foreclosures, the origins of which remain unclear. For decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office has offered low-income, first-time homebuyers all over the country
The students in Nicole DiGeronimo’s first-time homebuyer classes are increasingly older with a little more money saved up. They still can’t buy a home in Maine. “These are people that probably never anticipated it would be so difficult to purchase a home,” DiGeronimo, who directs Avesta Housing’s homeownership center, said. These homebuying hopefuls, often aged
Three years ago, Maine lawmakers passed a landmark bill designed to increase home construction and ease the state’s worsening housing crisis. Now, almost one year after implementation, some worry the law hasn’t lived up to its potential. “I don’t think we’ve seen nearly that much uptake since LD 2003 passed,” said Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford.
Avesta Housing recently joined its partner Preble Street to help celebrate 20 years of providing safe, quality, permanent housing and 24-hour support services for people who were chronically homeless in Maine. On March 25, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Logan Place, which provides housing and services for men and women in Portland. On April
When Russell’s seasonable job ended six years ago, he was unable to afford the rent on his apartment and began living in his truck. Then a deer jumped through one of the truck’s windows and totaled it — in the middle of winter. “I had no job, no truck, and no place to live,” says
In 2024, Avesta Housing provided 3,072 affordable homes to more than 4,600 people in Maine and New Hampshire. But these numbers only tell part of the story. You can learn more about how we are investing in the people in our communities by reading our 2024 Community Impact Report, which includes real estate development news,
Avesta Housing’s success in helping our residents achieve and maintain housing stability relies heavily on forging strong partnerships. One of our partners, Wayside, has been an invaluable resource for years. Every Monday from noon to 1 p.m., Wayside staff and volunteers provide community meals accompanied by live music at 409 Cumberland, an Avesta affordable housing
L-R: Dr. Renée Fay-LeBlanc, Peter Pitegoff, Douglas Stockbridge, Jim Hanley Avesta Housing, the largest nonprofit affordable housing developer in Northern New England, has appointed new officers to its Board of Directors: Dr. Renée Fay-LeBlanc, Chair – Dr. Fay-LeBlanc is an internal medicine physician and serves as chief medical officer at Greater Portland Health. Born and
For older people in Maine, the challenges of finding or keeping a home that’s affordable are multiplied. Some need to downsize or find an age-friendly living situation, but can’t afford to—especially on a fixed income. For others, the costs of long-term care leave them with insufficient funds for housing. And the available housing stock in
In 2024, the cities had strong permit numbers. Here are aerial views of several of those construction projects. Click here to read the full article
