Housing crisis solutions eyed by Maine Legislature

When Jennifer Sutherland determined to return to Maine from North Carolina because the laboratory supervisor at Down East Group Hospital (DECH) in Machias, she didn’t anticipate the issue of discovering housing, both to hire or to purchase. Fourteen years in the past she had labored for the VA facility in Augusta, had been throughout Maine and was accustomed to Washington County.

“We understood that it was going to be rural,” Sutherland mentioned, and that they may should commute a bit. She and her partner have three canine, and she or he mentioned, “That in itself put folks off.”

However she defined she couldn’t even discover a place to hire by herself whereas she was in search of extra everlasting housing. “I stayed in a girl’s shed in her yard for a month whereas I used to be wanting.” She nonetheless couldn’t discover something. A co-worker she is aware of had the identical downside. Whereas he did discover a short-term rental, he needed to transfer out as soon as his spouse and their small canine arrived. Sutherland famous he did ultimately discover housing.

With choices working out, Sutherland went off-grid to a shed-type shelter on land about quarter-hour from Machias. “There’s a complete group of individuals right here who’re residing off-grid, homesteading.”

The brand new residing association is debt-free, the sunrises may be beautiful they usually had been fortunate with the mildness of the winter, however they use a health club membership to have showers, one thing most owners and renters would take into account customary tools at residence. It was a shock to seek out on the health club that “there are fairly a couple of who depend on it for showers.”

When the health club is closed for holidays or different causes, Sutherland and her household keep at a resort for the period so as to bathe. She says, “Realistically, [the off-grid decision] was a selection that needed to be made” if Sutherland was going to remain for her new place at DECH, but it surely nonetheless amazes her that the selection needed to be made in any respect.

Threats to housing recognized

GrowSmart Maine CEO Nancy Smith will not be shocked by the tales of individuals wanting to maneuver into Maine for work after which developing towards the dearth of housing. The scarcity is felt in any respect ranges of revenue and accessibility, she says. The shortage of housing and leases poses an actual menace to a group’s means to maintain a working-age inhabitants, as Sutherland has discovered.

The primary menace to middle-income housing, Smith famous, is the short-term rental market. Nevertheless, she distinguishes between the owner-occupied short-term rental and the investor-owned rental.

For the latter, “The demand is robust, and there’s no regulation. It’s an actual threat.” There are instruments that municipalities can use, however Smith recommends a regional method. She factors out that if one city regulates short-term leases, “the market strikes to close by cities.”

The second menace to steady year-round housing entry is the in-migration of people who find themselves in search of everlasting houses in a state that has many optimistic attributes, together with that it’ll not be as affected by local weather change as another states. It’s a blended blessing, she says.

“They carry experience, vitality and have households.” However as a result of they’ll typically pay increased costs for housing, they’ve contributed to the squeeze on provide and the rise in costs.

Sutherland factors out that the opposite facet of the coin to short-term leases is a panorama of vacant and deteriorating homes, typically owned by long-time Maine households who preserve the home for sentimental causes, or go to often, however with upkeep not on the precedence record. After they do promote, the homes aren’t at all times lived in or mounted up. She might afford a fixer-upper, however the quantity of renovation prices makes such an choice unrealistic.

“A co-worker has a home subsequent door that was purchased two years in the past by a pair from out-of-state, and it’s been empty the entire time.” It’s irritating, she mentioned, to see so many vacant homes after they’re so badly wanted for year-round use.

A brand new tackle growth

Growth has not at all times been a welcome phrase in lots of elements of Maine. Business strips took enterprise away from downtowns however are actually typically shells of their former selves.

Housing developments, upscale or not, have typically been constructed exterior of the principle a part of a metropolis and city, including to a municipality’s infrastructure burden with the necessity for extra water and sewer build-out, street plowing and extra upkeep prices.

New laws, proposed or now within the rule-making course of, seeks to outline growth in new methods, recognizing the necessity to innovate with what exists in a approach to improve housing for middle-income households whereas defending land recognized as culturally and economically helpful for agriculture, working waterfront, forestry, local weather resilience and extra.

Plenty of payments are being thought of by the Maine Legislature to assist communities discover the correct paths ahead. GrowSmart Maine and Construct Maine have created Coverage Motion 2023 with proposed laws that will create a cohesive method to growth that strengthens the present infrastructure and tradition of downtowns and villages of all sizes.

“We’d like extra housing the place it is sensible long-term,” defined Smith.

Coverage Motion 2023 has distinct steps after which broader steps for how one can deal with the housing affordability problem via growth. Smith explains, “it’s a place to begin” for the legislature.

One invoice suggests {that a} financial institution of constructing sorts, with development drawings that meet constructing codes, be created in order that municipalities can “maintain their very own public course of to use these sorts domestically.” Housing prices may be decreased by streamlining the regulatory course of.

One other invoice would strengthen Maine’s historic rehabilitation tax credit score by extending eligibility to owners and enhancing credit for small business initiatives. And recognizing that municipalities will need assistance implementing change, LD 602 would supply regional help to ship state and federal packages to cities and cities.

Whichever elements of Coverage Motion 2023 make it into regulation, they are going to be apparent companions to LD 2003, signed into regulation in April 2022. The laws encompasses a spread of suggestions to extend housing alternatives in Maine via zoning and land use modifications. The Maine Division of Financial and Group Growth (DECD) has created a information for municipalities and people to make use of in figuring out how LD 2003 impacts native zoning and land use codes.

DECD Legislative Affairs and Communications Spokesperson Victoria Foley defined, “LD 2003 focuses on eradicating regulatory boundaries to extend housing manufacturing in Maine, whereas preserving municipal means to create land use plans and shield environmental sources. This laws requires municipalities to create or amend native ordinances to permit for extra density for reasonably priced developments in sure areas; a number of dwelling models on tons designated for housing; and one accent dwelling unit positioned on the identical lot as a single-family dwelling unit in any space the place housing is permitted.”

To maneuver ahead on these choices, communities will want their complete plans in place. Foley defined, “The Housing Alternative Program inside DECD recommends {that a} municipality begin the LD 2003 compliance course of by reviewing its present zoning ordinances and complete plan to see if all, or some, of the provisions of LD 2003 are relevant. A municipality ought to observe the place designated progress areas are positioned — if relevant — water and sewer capabilities, and the present density and dimensional necessities for housing buildings. Additionally it is advisable {that a} municipality attain out to its native regional planning group, akin to Dawn County Financial Council (SCEC), to help with complete plan interpretation or ordinance evaluate.”

Of SCEC’s efforts to assist municipalities, Assistant Director Jennifer Peters mentioned, “SCEC is within the means of hiring a planner to help cities with complete planning, ordinance growth, group resilience planning, and to assist fill different planning wants. There are another items within the works which will require including one to 2 positions to the group growth crew within the close to future, however that isn’t but sure.”

Peters provides, “Serving to communities perceive about LD 2003 and different avenues of help coping with housing points is of important significance.”

“Enormous modifications are occurring,” mentioned Smith. “It’s a really human intuition to withstand change due to the worry of what we’re going to lose.” Nevertheless, she says, “All of us have to lean into this if we would like small cities to thrive.”

Sutherland couldn’t agree extra. “Now we have individuals who wish to come right here and work, however there’s no housing.” When she seems to be at Machias she sees a spot turning right into a ghost city.

“It breaks my coronary heart as a result of there’s a lot potential.” She pauses. “It’s very sophisticated. I feel the county has a lot potential, however there are such a lot of components to work on.”

Whether or not she and her partner will keep is up within the air. “It’s one thing we wrestle with each day.” She famous that as a medical skilled she will be able to work nearly anyplace.

What may be executed instantly

Smith, of GrowSmart Maine, recommends that folks interact on the native stage, study native guidelines for growth and the way they intersect with the safety of farmland, forests and dealing waterfront. Hold an “eye in the direction of ‘rising in the correct locations,’” for housing, for meals manufacturing, local weather change impacts and extra, she says.

“Encourage regional approaches for each growth and conservation. Regional help offered by SCEC is invaluable to cities.”

And eventually, she notes the significance of contacting legislators concerning the significance of addressing the housing affordability disaster.

The Maine Housing Help Fund has been relaunched in an effort to assist owners who meet low and reasonable revenue thresholds with as much as $50,000 in most profit per house owner.

Fueled with $50 million from federal pandemic aid funds, the fund is out there to households incomes as much as 150% of native space median revenue and who’ve suffered a monetary hardship, lack of revenue or elevated bills after January 21, 2020, related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Householders can verify eligibility and start the appliance course of on-line at MaineHomeownerHelp.org.

Enroll right here to obtain The Maine Monitor’s free, periodic e-newsletter, Downeast Monitor, that focuses on Washington County information. This text is republished by The Maine Monitor with permission from the Quoddy Tides.