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300 Attend MAHC Housing Policy Conference

Thank you to all our sponsors, speakers, award winners, volunteers, exhibitors and membership who made this very successful event possible.

Nearly 300 leaders in the housing, development, engineering, construction, finance, advocacy, and legislative fields gathered to discuss the housing crisis in Maine and policy solutions.

Media coverage here. News Center Maine Channel 6, November 17, 2022

Slides from speakers:
Laura Mitchell, Executive Director, MAHC – Laura Slides FINAL
Mike Kingsella, CEO, Up For Growth – UFG_Presentation_Maine_2022-11-17
Amanda Rector, State Economist, State of Maine – 111722_MAHC_Rector

Victoria Morales Receives Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell Award at MAHC Housing Policy Conference

MAHC's Elizabeth H. Mitchell Award is given to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in addressing Maine’s affordable housing problems. It was first awarded in 2009 to Senate President Elizabeth “Libby” Mitchell, in recognition of her many years of commitment to housing issues, both as a director of Maine State Housing Authority and in her role as a state legislator.

In subsequent years, the award has been given to Representative Ryan Fecteau, House Speaker Hannah Pingree, Senator Chris Rector, Representative Andre Cushing, MaineHousing chairman Peter Anastos, Representative Peggy Rotundo, House Speaker Mark Eves, Senator Amy Volk, Senator Roger Katz, Representative Jared Golden and Governor Janet Mills.

The honoree for the 2022 award was chosen after nominations from MAHC membership, and a vote by the MAHC board. The 2022 award was given to executive director of the Quality Housing Coalition and former state representative, Victoria Morales. MAHC honored Victoria Morales to mark her outstanding leadership in the Maine legislature bringing attention to housing issues, launching the Housing Caucus, and forming the Quality Housing Coalition, a nonprofit connecting people to housing and advocating to support housing people in the Portland region.

Dana Totman Receives MAHC Rickmond K. McCarthy Award

Rick McCarthy served as MAHC’s lobbyist for over a decade, helping the Coalition navigate a wide array of state legislative work. Rick was an extraordinary advocate for housing, not just because he was well-informed and hard-working, but also because he was universally trusted across party lines. He had a kind and respectful demeanor that, together with his intelligence and strategic thinking, paved the way for his success.

In spring 2020, when Rick McCarthy passed away after battling cancer, MAHC’s Board of Directors announced the creation of the Rickmond K. McCarthy Housing Justice Award, to be presented to those individuals whose service to the state emulate Rick’s compassionate and congenial work, undertaken to help ensure that all Mainers have a safe and affordable place to call home.

Dana Totman, like Rick, has been a tireless advocate for safe and affordable housing for decades. He served as President and CEO of Avesta Housing for over 22 years and played an integral role in the formation and growth of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition. He’s provided support and leadership for numerous campaigns to create statewide affordable housing bonds.

Dana has conducted his advocacy much the way Rick did, with kindness and respect and a focus on helping make people’s lives better. Thousands of Mainers are better off as a result of this work. And so, as a continued tribute to Rick, and in appreciation for all of Dana’s work, the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition is pleased to present Dana Totman with the Rickmond K. McCarthy Housing Justice Award. We are enormously grateful to Dana for his many years of service to Maine people and communities.

UMaine Launches First 3-D Printed House

Engineers at the University of Maine have created the first 3D-printed house that is completely derived from waste woods, and it could be the key to solving the affordable housing crisis in Maine and beyond. While 3D-printed houses are not a new phenomenon, the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center’s new “BioHome3D” is a fresh take that combines 3D-printing technology with materials that are completely recyclable and renewable, according to the center’s director, Habib Dagher.

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/11/21/news/bangor/umaine-3d-printed-home-affordable-housing-n6hjn1me0n/

Thank You to MAHC's Housing Policy Conference Sponsors

Registration is closed and the MAHC office will be closed for the conference on November 17. We have ~300 people registered and are excited for the event tomorrow. If you are registered and have questions, please contact info@mainehousingcoalition.org.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Exhibitor Sponsors:

Credere Associates, LLC
CWS Architecture & Interior Designs
Gawron Turgeon Architects

Maine Indoor Air Quality Council
SERVPRO of Maine
USDA – Rural Development

Welcome to This Week's New MAHC Member

MAHC Membership is Due - Please Contact Us by Dec. 31 to Maintain Membership
MAHC membership runs from July 2022 - June 2023. Some valued members have still not sent in their dues, please reach out to info@mainehousingcoalition.org or send in your completed membership form here. We want to keep your voice in our work so all people in Maine have a home. Thank you! If you are listed below, your membership is due:

Bank of New Hampshire

BFIM-Boston Financial Investment, LP

CHA Architecture, aka Portland Design Team

Development Services of New England

Four Directions Development Corp

Freeport Community Services

Freeport Housing Trust

Grommes Pulaski Consulting, LLC

Hancock Lumber

Healthy Androscoggin

Housing Authority of Fort Fairfield

Housing Partnership

Island Institute

Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry

John Anton, Consultant

Kennebec Savings Bank

KeyBank

Landry/French Construction

LaRochell Consulting, LLC

Maine Equal Justice

Mascoma Bank

MREMA

People’s United Bank

Preservation Management, Inc.

PretiFlaherty

S.W. Cole Engineering

Scott Simons Architects

TD Bank

The Clancy Company

The Opportunity Alliance

The Wishcamper Companies, Inc.

Thornton Tomasetti

Yarmouth Senior Housing

YorkHousingYorkshireCommons

MAHC

Mission
MAHC advocates for the creation and preservation of affordable housing so all people in Maine have a place to call home.

Overview
The Maine Affordable Housing Coalition (MAHC) is a membership organization representing public, private and non-profit groups. MAHC has more than 130 private and public sector organizations, including developers, architects, engineers, builders, investors, Community Action agencies, public housing authorities, housing and service providers, advocates and others committed to ensuring that all Mainers are adequately and affordably housed.

MAHC commissions reports to inform the development and advocacy for safe, affordable housing in Maine. These reports include an analysis of the housing needs of Maine’s older population, a comprehensive assessment of housing affordability in Maine, the effectiveness of the Housing Choice Voucher Program in Maine communities, the economic impacts of developing affordable housing, and the governance structure of Maine State Housing Authority, and also convenes public forums on the affordable housing crisis.

MAHC is Maine’s lead agency for the New England Housing Network, a coalition of housing and community development organizations joined together to provide a regional response to changes in federal housing and community development programs, a member of Up For Growth, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s state coalition partner in Maine.

Contact us at: info@mainehousingcoalition.org