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Many people who apply for affordable housing with Avesta are on the precipice of homelessness. They include families who cannot afford to buy clothing and food for their children after paying rent and utilities. They include older adults who must weigh whether to pay the rent or buy vital medications. They can be just one life event — a job layoff, an illness, an accident, the death of a family member — from becoming unhoused.
Avesta’s credo is that everyone deserves a place to call home. The key word here is “everyone.” Those who have the good fortune to live in a safe, quality home should not deny others the same right.
Yet that is exactly what is happening across the state of Maine.
Residents of numerous Maine municipalities have rejected recent efforts to provide affordable housing to their communities. In each case, the opposition has largely amounted to NIMBYism — “not in my backyard.” Neighbors of proposed affordable housing sites have frequently supported the need for and creation of affordable housing — as long as it is built “somewhere else.” Avesta is no stranger to this response to affordable housing.
NIMBYism is one of the largest impediments to the development of affordable housing at a time when every single day counts. The numbers speak for themselves. It is projected that we will need more than 84,000 new homes by 2030 to meet demand — 14,000 new homes every year for six years. According to the annual “Out of Reach” report issued last month by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, tens of thousands of residents in Maine cannot afford to live in safe, quality homes. And the U.S. Supreme Court has just made it easier for communities to fine, ticket, and arrest people experiencing homelessness.
It has been proven time and time again that housing is critical for people, communities, and the economy to thrive. Clearly, we must increase our efforts to address this crisis and overcome those voices who want to deny others the right to a safe, quality, affordable place to live. But we cannot do it alone. To build more affordable housing, we need your support. Contact your representatives in the Legislature or local elected officials. Present testimony in person or in writing at municipal planning board and council meetings. Engage in grass-roots campaigns that support housing. Partner with Avesta and other nonprofit affordable housing providers in the form of a monetary or land donation.
We have no time to lose. Make your voice heard.
Rebecca Hatfield, President & CEO
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