Mariam arrived in Maine from Djibouti with her four children with no money, no job, and nowhere to stay. She was literally starting over again from scratch. They stayed in a Portland shelter and then a hotel before eventually renting a market-rate apartment in the city. But the rent was barely affordable for Mariam, and
In March 2023, Kayla and her 4-year-old son became unhoused. They couched surfed for a bit before moving into her sister’s home in Waterboro. Kayla took a job at Starbuck’s in Windham – the 5 a.m. shift, the only one available – and spent most of her free time commuting, with little left for her
When Pedro and Alice first came to Portland with their family, they stayed at the city’s family shelter and spent much of their free time walking around the Bayside neighborhood. “We would say to each other, ‘This is a great neighborhood. Hopefully one day, we can live here,’” Pedro said. The couple arrived in Maine
When Alain was told he and his family had a new home with Avesta Housing, he was so excited, he couldn’t wait to move in. So he called a friend and asked him to take him to Walmart so he could buy an inflatable mattress and sleep there that very night. “I told my wife,
People experiencing homelessness are slowly being housed, one by one, with some moving into their first apartment in decades. Click here to watch the news report
Avesta Housing has secured almost $1.5 million in federal funds for our proposed Site-based Housing First development in Portland. If the development is fully funded and approved, it will provide new homes with 24/7 support services for the chronically homeless on the former Oxford Street Shelter site. We are extremely grateful to Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
Avesta Housing, the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in northern New England, has received a $100,000 gift from Norway Savings Bank to help provide affordable housing and support services to people in need. Avesta has more than 100 properties serving more than 4,000 people, and more than 800 new homes in its real estate development
Avesta Housing plans to turn the former Oxford Street homeless shelter in Portland into permanent housing. Avesta has reached an option agreement to buy the 1/3 acre property and is considering plans to develop a mixed-income community, including Site-based Housing First and multifamily residential housing with approximately 30 to 50 affordable apartments. Avesta Housing plans
A new proposal would turn the site of a former Portland homeless shelter into affordable housing. Avesta Housing and Preble Street have unveiled a proposal for “site-based housing first,” which Preble Street says is a solution to chronic homelessness. Mainebiz reports that it would be located at the site of the former Oxford Street Shelter and
Developers are planning at least 30 affordable “Housing First” apartments for homeless people at the former site of Portland’s Oxford Street homeless shelter. Avesta Housing, a Portland-based nonprofit affordable housing provider, has secured an option agreement to purchase the 1/3 acre parcel at 203 Oxford St., which was once Portland’s centrally located homeless shelter before
