Auburn's affordable housing stock gets a boost
A $250,000 grant from the Maine State Housing Authority will help Auburn homeowners add at least 15 accessory dwelling units to city properties.
The units, which can be no larger than 800 square feet, will be offered at affordable rates to low-to-moderate income residents. The program was proposed by Mayor Jason Levesque this summer as a way to provide monetary incentives to qualified residents for up to 15% of actual construction costs, with a maximum of $30,000 per new unit constructed.
The funding will be matched with $225,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to add to the comprehensive efforts to increase affordable housing units in Auburn.
“Solving the current housing crisis is an all-hands-on-deck situation,” Levesque said in a prepared release. “This program effectively puts another tool in the hands of Auburn residents. One they can use to not only help the greater housing effort, but also to put much-needed passive rental income in their pockets.”
MaineHousing Director Daniel Brennan said Auburn's proposal was directly in line with the purpose of the Community Solutions grant program.
"It’s also particularly encouraging to see Auburn putting some of its federal pandemic relief funding towards housing,” Brennan said. “To build the housing inventory we need in Maine we need to see more municipalities stepping up the way Auburn is by putting their focus and financial resources towards adding safe, warm and affordable housing units for their citizens.”
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