2020 Goals
Avesta Housing believes that everyone deserves a place to call home. Our goals for 2019 include:
- Goal 1: Provide infrastructure and services that allow Maine seniors to age in place gracefully
- Goal 2: Increase and improve affordable housing options for low-income Mainers, including families, seniors, formerly homeless individuals, and New Mainers
- Goal 3: Create financial stability for homeowners through education and counseling services
- Goal 4: Advocate for safe, affordable, quality homes for people in need
WHO WE ARE
We are a nonprofit organization driven by our mission to improve lives and strengthen communities by promoting and providing quality affordable homes for people in need. We care deeply about people – those who urgently need safe, affordable housing and those living in the homes we develop and manage. We have four Core Values that sustain the work we do:
- Humanity: We care about people
- Stewardship: We manage our resources responsibly, efficiently and sustainably
- Relationships: We seek meaningful interaction and effective collaboration
- Quality: We pursue excellence in all our work
In January 2017, Avesta Housing formed a partnership with 75 State Street, a senior and assisted-living nonprofit organization that was founded in 1854. Our mission-driven organizations joined together to strengthen the services and advocacy work we do for seniors.
WHAT WE DO
Our staff and board of directors are passionate about affordable housing and the positive impact it has on lives and communities. We focus on five strategic areas:
- Advocacy: We share knowledge, identify challenges, and promote solutions for safe and affordable housing. Data show that more individuals and families than ever are struggling to afford safe, decent housing. We are devoted to addressing local, regional, and national affordable housing needs through strategic collaborations and in conjunction with our advocacy partner, the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition.
- Development: Avesta draws upon years of reciprocal relationships with the financial industry, community leaders, building professionals, and housing advocates in order to develop, acquire, and preserve hundreds of affordable units each year.
- Property Management: Avesta Housing manages nearly 100 properties and 2,700 affordable and homes throughout southern Maine and New Hampshire. These properties vary greatly in size, age, and type, but our philosophy managing them is consistent: we care about the people living in our communities, and we care about the condition and performance of our buildings. Our success derives from our strong desire to help our residents and optimize the spaces in which they live.
- Senior & Assisted Living: Supporting seniors is an important part of Avesta’s mission. As Maine’s population ages, the scope of Avesta Housing’s commitment to affordable housing has grown to include those for whom a private residence may no longer be an option. We have two assisted-living communities – Inn at Village Square in Gorham and 75 State Street in Portland – that offer personalized, affordable, and supportive living options for seniors.
- Homeownership: The Avesta NeighborWorks™ HomeOwnership Center fosters strong, thriving communities and personal financial health and stability through enriched financial literacy, improved personal financial management, and increased homeownership. The HOC provides home buyer education, teaches consumers how to invest in mortgage products, provides financial capability counseling, and offers foreclosure prevention counseling to help people retain their homes
