ROCKLAND, Maine — The average rent for apartments in Rockland is more than what two-thirds of the residents can afford.
The cost of home ownership also is getting out of reach for many in the region.
Housing advocates say the lack of affordable housing has become a desperate situation in Knox County, particularly in Rockland. Among the leading groups that have begun an aggressive effort with local municipalities to help resolve the situation are Penquis — the community action program serving Knox, Penobscot and Piscataquis counties — and Midcoast Habitat for Humanity.
“There is a desperate need for affordable housing,” Tia Anderson, the executive director of Midcoast Habitat for Humanity, said.
Habitat for Humanity purchased a Brewster Street lot in Rockland in December 2014 that included a house that was under construction. The property also is large enough to subdivide into two additional lots on which to build homes. The volunteer home-building organization plans to start new construction there this summer.
The nearly completed Brewster Street house is the 28th built by the local Habitat for Humanity organization since 1991.
In December, Habitat for Humanity purchased a lot in Camden. On Wednesday night, the Warren Board of Selectmen discussed whether it could cooperate with the organization to build on tax-acquired land.
Statistics from the Maine State Housing Authority show that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment with utilities included in Rockland is $1,033. The report states this rent is more than what 67 percent of Rockland residents can afford.
Jason Bird, the housing development director for Penquis, said the community action organization is looking at two locations in Rockland where it is considering building 25 to 30 affordable rental units.
Bird said he expects a decision to be made within a couple of months on whether the project will go forward this year and where it would be located. He said he was not ready to disclose the locations being eyed.
The housing official said rental rates are higher in Rockland than the state in general because it is a destination for people interested in arts and entertainment as well as a service center for the region. That increases the demand for rental units, which drives up prices. He said people who own homes and apartments also are renting them out through online sites and services such as Airbnb, which further drives up prices and reduces the number of units available for people who want to live in the community.
Last week, Rockland Mayor Louise MacLellan-Ruf and City Councilor Valli Geiger met with housing advocates to discuss how the city could assist.
Geiger said the lack of affordable housing was one of the reasons she ran for council more than a year ago, but she was frustrated other issues have gotten in the way of addressing the problem.
Geiger said the city acquires on average six to eight homes each year because of nonpayment of property taxes. While the city first attempts to return those homes to the former owners, there are cases when that does not occur.
The councilor said she supports turning over some of those tax-acquired homes to Habitat for Humanity to provide more affordable housing. She added that the city could work with housing groups to establish a “green” fund in which the costs of making the houses energy-efficient would be recouped when the homes are sold.
In terms of rentals, there are many people who work in Rockland who can’t find an apartment in the city because of the cost, she said. Geiger said the number of available apartments also was being reduced because some landlords are finding it difficult to upgrade their buildings to meet code standards and because previously large homes that had been converted into multiple units are being restored to single-family homes again.
She indicated, however, that she is not supportive of large-scale low-income housing projects.
“I’m not wild about that model that puts a population of poor together, often in a neighborhood that doesn’t want it,” Geiger said.
She would support Penquis creating affordable housing for the elderly, saying there is a need for that as well.
Bird said the developments Penquis would build would look more like townhouses and would fit well into a neighborhood.
Fifty-three percent of Rockland residents also are unable to afford a median-priced home, according to statistics from the Maine State Housing Authority. And while the median price of a home in Rockland is lower — at $135,000 — than surrounding communities, the median household income is much lower than neighboring towns at $38,353.
The Habitat for Humanity project on Brewster Street is different from what the organization has done in the past in that no family has been selected yet. The home is large enough for a family of up to six people.
Normally, families are selected first and are required to help work on building or renovating the home they will be moving into. A single parent is required to put in 250 hours of such “sweat equity,” while a two-parent household must contribute 350 hours.
When a family is found for the Brewster Street residence, which is expected to be completed in April, the new owners will be required to put the “sweat equity” into another home.
Anderson said Habitat for Humanity also is working with the Knox County Homeless Coalition, which operates the homeless shelter in neighboring Rockport.
The Habitat for Humanity director said the organization looks for families in need who earn enough to make the affordable loan payments and will be successful in maintaining the residence.
Rep. Anne Beebe-Center, D-Rockland, who attended the meeting last week with city officials, said she was encouraged they were willing to consider changing local ordinances to allow for smaller lot sizes so additional housing can be built.