Throughout Piscataquis and Penobscot counties, the housing crisis is not a single-issue challenge, but a constellation of interrelated barriers, according to a report from Eastern Maine Development Corp.
Weatherization of an events venue reduced weather-related disruptions and draw more bookings and new business for local vendors. Childcare organizations expanded capacity.
Like many Maine businesses, dairy farms are dealing with "a lack of interested and qualified employees." The sector shrank from 602 farms in 1994 to 140 today.
Recipients demonstrated potential for long-term impact; campaigns that reach underrepresented, new and diverse communities of visitors; and improvement of Maine's tourism assets.
Eastern Maine Development Corp. will receive $500,000, Sunrise County Economic Council will receive $15,679 and the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments will get $12,884 for training, technical help and loan assistance in eight Maine counties.
The goal of the federally funded initiative is to recommend solutions for increasing access to affordable transportation and to connect people to the resources they need.
Northern Maine’s economic viability has always had a vulnerable side. The Eastern Maine Development Corp.’s new plan for Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock, and Waldo counties has taken on added importance.