Norway Savings Bank donates $5,000 to Norway Equitable Housing Cooperative
The Norway Equitable Housing Cooperative, a project of the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy in the Oxford County town of Norway, received a $5,000 donation from Norway Savings Bank toward the development of a housing cooperative.
In 2023, the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy bought 33 and 35 Whitman St. in Norway as the future home of the Norway Equitable Housing Cooperative, completed asbestos abatement and demolished the buildings in January.
The metal roofing was sorted for recycling and most of the rest was hauled away and burned to generate electricity.
With technical assistance from the Genesis Fund, the cooperative plans to apply to the state’s Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program this fall, according to a news release.
With additional funding from foundations and private donors, the goal is to have 17 affordable, resident-owned housing units in downtown Norway available for area workers and their families.
“Affordable, safe, energy-efficient housing is a critical need in our community.” said Thea Hart, a Center for an Ecology-Based Economy board member and co-coordinator for the project. “After an exhaustive process, we recently received our building permit from the town of Norway and have a project team of local architects, engineers, and builders who are eager to finish designs and build the project.”
Operating as a “limited equity housing cooperative,” residents would purchase a share in and pay shared monthly utility and maintenance fees.
“This is such a creative housing solution and what’s further admirable is CEBE’s plans to utilize green building technology and local materials in carrying out the project,” said Dan Walsh, president and CEO of Norway Savings Bank.
The Western Foothills of Maine are well-equipped to serve as a model for other communities in the transition to an ecology-based economy, said Scott Vlaun, Center for an Ecology-Based Economy's executive director.
“Our assets include the ability to produce much of our food locally, a relatively dense population which sets us up well for electric vehicles and alternative modes of transportation, and a community full of skilled and inspiring humans,” Vlaun said.
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