Affordable housing is the focus of grants from Maine Association of Realtors' charitable arm

Courtesy / Melissa Huston An Orono house was built in partnership between Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor and Eastern Maine Community College, where students in the construction, building and fine woodworking department built parts of the house on campus.

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By Peter Van Allen

The charitable arm of the Maine Association of Realtors has awarded a total of $80,000 to 11 organizations that are addressing housing needs in Maine.

The grants, of up to $10,000 apiece, were awarded through a competitive program.

The grants from the Realtor Affordable Housing Fund offer nonprofits assistance in helping Maine’s most vulnerable households find housing. Since 1991, the foundation has awarded more than $1.4 million in competitive grants to address affordable housing needs.

The following organizations each received a grant of $10,000:

MidCoast Habitat for Humanity will use the funds in Knox County for the Aging in Place-Housing Plus Program.
Community Care will use funds to provide security deposits, first months’ rent and rental assistance to 20 youths experiencing homelessness.
Rural Community Action Ministry will use funds to support the homeless prevention activities, including providing financial counseling and housing repairs or modifications for 75 to 100 people.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor will use funds to support building a new home in Penobscot County.
Through These Doors will use funds to support some of its operating costs (electric, water, storm water, natural gas, telephone, fire, cleaning) for a shelter expansion for survivors of domestic violence.

The following organizations each received a grant of $5,000:

CHiP Inc. will use funds to provide heating assistance to income-eligible households
A House for ME will use funds to support the offset of rent and utilities expenses for three residents.
Safe Voices will use funds to cover a portion of housing navigator expenses and also provide utility and security deposit assistance for 30 to 40 families
Habitat for Humanity 7 Rivers Maine will use funds to support its home repair program, which includes purchasing materials and covering job site costs for 4 to 6 families.
Mission at the Eastward will use funds to support its purchase of building supplies to make home repairs for very low-income families.
New Beginnings will use funds to support providing rent assistance and covering management staff costs associated with helping homeless youth navigate/transition from homelessness to stable housing.

"Affordable housing has always been a concern, but in recent years it has become increasingly apparent that those of us that can do something, must do something to fix the crisis," said Ashlee Simpson Black, 2023 chair of the Maine Association of Realtors Foundation and a broker at the Simpson Team at Realty of Maine in Bangor.

"We at the Maine Association of Realtors Foundation are honored to distribute these grants this year to 11 nonprofit organizations that do just that; each one uniquely addresses the housing crisis in their community to help the people of Maine have safe shelter."

The Realtors Affordable Housing Fund was established in 1989 and derives its revenue from interest earnings paid by financial institutions on real estate trust accounts administered by Realtor offices across Maine.