For Second Year Genesis Partners with MaineHousing in Effort to Expand Affordable Housing Development

An effort made to guide smaller-scale developers, community groups, and municipalities continues in 2024.

BRUNSWICK, MAINE — Recognizing that Maine’s housing crisis is at the center of challenges across communities, the Genesis Community Loan Fund has begun a second-year partnership with MaineHousing to guide small-scale developers, community groups, and municipalities around the state to develop project plans and seek funding to build affordable housing.

“Maine leaders and residents recognize that increasing the supply of affordable housing is one of the most important shared priorities to foster prosperity in our communities,” said Liza Fleming-Ives, Genesis executive director. “Lack of housing is taking a toll on people’s health and stability, contributing to worker shortages, and threatening the state’s economic wellbeing.”

MaineHousing Director Daniel Brennan said expanding development expertise and growing its capacity in Maine are key to easing the state’s affordable housing shortages.

“The solid technical expertise that Genesis offers to new developers and their plans, facilitating new ideas and innovation rooted in Maine, is why MaineHousing is thrilled to continue this instrumental partnership.  Genesis’s work, particularly with our rural programs, is making a real difference on the affordable housing landscape.”

In the coming weeks, Genesis will hold information sessions in the following communities: Bangor, Belfast, Dover-Foxcroft, Machias, Presque Isle, Sedgwick, and York. As more locations are added, updates will be posted to the events section of genesis.org.

Last year, the first year of this groundbreaking collaboration, Genesis staff provided training in person or virtually for eight Maine regions. These information sessions and customized follow-up conversations offered guidance and advice to more than 90 groups and project developers to enhance community capacity to create affordable housing. More than 120 individuals took part in the sessions.

“We’re excited to build on the success of the first year of this innovative partnership with MaineHousing,” Fleming-Ives said. “Genesis will share information and ideas with even more developers and communities this year to help them navigate the complexities of affordable housing development and increase Maine’s supply of high-quality, energy-efficient, affordable homes.”

In December 2023, 14 developers who received guidance from Genesis as part of the first year of the partnership submitted applications to MaineHousing to secure funding for projects to build affordable rental housing in rural Maine communities. They were among 16 applications MaineHousing received for the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program. Awards decisions are expected this winter.