MIC Meeting 11/2

On Friday, Nov. 2, Kendra and I attended the Maine Islands Coalition meeting at the Island Institute. The discussion was based around affordable housing and what different islands are doing to address the issue. We talked to people from Monhegan Island Sustainable Community Association (MISCA), Cranberry Isles Realty Trust (CIRT), Islesboro Affordable Property (IAP), and North Haven Sustainable Housing (NHSH), and other islands that are still in the beginning phases of housing projects.

We also spoke with Liza Fleming-Ives from the Genesis Fund, an organization that has been instrumental in helping to finance many housing projects including on IaH. The Genesis Fund helped push for the bond that funded the two new ICDC homes. Liza said that the Genesis Fund is interested in hearing about new housing projects and if enough islands have plans in the works, they would consider supporting another bond that could help fund another round of projects.

Slowly but surely, we are working towards understanding the options available. If you have any comments or want to know more, please submit them here or contact me by email: asiegel@islandinstitute.org

Some highlights from the discussion:

• Coordinating and communicating between different island housing groups will help us to build on each other's successes and learn what has and hasn't worked for different island communities. The more we work together, the better the outcomes will be for our communities
• The Genesis Fund is interested in hearing about island housing projects that are in the works. If enough communities come forward with plans to develop new sustainable housing, they will consider pushing for another housing bond like the one that passed in (2012?)
• Almost everyone agrees that being a landlord is not enjoyable or lucrative for an organization, but most communities recognize that it is important to maintain a few rentals in order to attract new people to the island who are not ready to buy or build
• Many islands recognize the difference between building housing with the goal of attracting newcomers to the islands and building housing that supports the existing population. For example, North Haven Sustainable Housing prioritizes residents who have lived on the island for at least two years. MISCA on Monhegan, which has both rented and sold houses, prefers to rent to newcomers and sell to long-time residents.
• There is a difference between "affordable" and "sustainable" housing. Affordable is based on income and is designated for residents with moderate to low income. Sustainable housing is a looser term but is used for housing that helps year-round residents stay on the island. Some organizations use income brackets and some don't.
• What is the ideal percentage of island housing that should be designated as "affordable"? It may be more important to look at what percentage of the island's population is cost-burdened (spending more than 30% of income on housing costs)
• Monhegan is working on developing the necessary infrastructure on a few new lots (water, septic, electricity) and then giving potential homeowners the option to self-build.