Maine's Growing Housing Crunch

Source

Mainebiz

Date

5-2-2022

Pages

16-18, 20-24, 26-28, 30-33

Abstract

A collection of mini articles dealing with the many aspects of Maine's housing crisis: "Single Family Market is a Wild Ride" describes a housing market driven by out-of-state buyers, with fast turnover and escalating prices the norm; "Number of Building Permits Issues [sic] Highest Since 2007" offers details of the latest building boom; "Construction Costs Rise Across the Board" discusses the labor and materials shortages driving up the cost of building; "Multifamily Housing Market Remains Heated" explores the scramble to satisfy eager buyers for multifamily units when inventory is low; "From Augusta to Auburn, Policymakers Lay Groundwork for More Affordable Housing" discusses efforts - including tiny homes, accessory dwelling units, and zoning reform - to make more affordable housing available throughout the state; "Demand for Affordable Housing Continues to Grow" notes the rising demand for affordable housing and belated attention to the problem from lawmakers; "The Green New Deal and Portland's Dilemma" details the promise of affordable housing developments in Portland being derailed by funding refusals; "Amid Housing Shortage, the 'Airbnb Effect' Stirs Debate" weighs the pros and cons of short-term rentals (investment income for property owners vs. lack of available housing units); "Small Town Efforts and Tiny Home Options" note how communities such as Rockland are "chipping away" at their housing crises, and the increased demand for tiny homes as a housing solution; in "We Asked Maine Leaders for One Idea to Remedy the Housing Shortage," Nathan Szanton of the Szanton Cos., Auburn Mayor Jason J. Levesque, and Corrine Watson of Tiny Homes offer their thoughts on how to ease the current crisis.

Full text is not available here. Please contact the Library for a copy of the article.

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