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Patrick Woodcock is president and CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.
Maine is facing a housing crisis that threatens our economic competitiveness and quality of life. Reducing regulatory barriers that delay housing development is essential to support Maine’s workforce and local economies. It’s becoming harder to retain young Mainers in their home state, as housing costs make it increasingly unaffordable to stay.
Quite simply, Maine’s housing pricing is pushing out an entire generation of Mainers who want to live and work in Maine communities, and straining our elderly on fixed incomes. Maine employers are struggling to find workers not because the talent isn’t out there, but because those workers can’t find a place to live. State projections show virtually no employment growth from 2026 through 2029.
This challenge affects sectors across Maine. Employers are losing potential hires, reducing hours, or delaying growth due to a lack of housing. From nurses in Augusta to hospitality workers along the coast, Mainers are being priced out of the communities they serve.
That’s why four organizations — the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, Maine Real Estate & Development Association, and the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce — have launched Build Homes, Build Community, a statewide initiative focused on advancing housing solutions that support Maine’s workforce and economy. Our goal is clear: expand housing access to support the workers and businesses that power Maine’s economy.
The numbers speak for themselves:
Seventy-nine percent of households in Maine can’t afford a median-priced home. Home prices have increased by 50% since 2020, while incomes have risen just 33%. Half of all renters are cost-burdened.
Meanwhile, Maine needs more than 80,000 new homes by 2030 to meet current and future demand — and according to recent data, we are building at half the pace we need.
At our coalition’s launch in November, we heard from employers like Will Savage of Acorn Engineering, who relocated expansion to Bangor and Kingfield due to affordability challenges in southern Maine. It’s a stark reminder: when housing becomes a barrier, growth grinds to a halt.
There’s no silver bullet — but there is a roadmap. A recent state-commissioned study outlines how Maine can make real progress: modernize permitting processes, reduce development costs, and partner with communities that are ready to grow. We must also invest in the construction workforce that will build these homes and provide employers with tools to support workforce housing.
This isn’t just about policymakers — everyone in Maine has a role to play. Housing is a rare issue that can unite Democrats, Republicans, and independents around a shared goal. A pro-housing agenda benefits us all.
State leaders must accelerate permitting, reduce red tape, and invest in housing production, particularly for middle-income workers and essential industries.
Municipalities must adopt pro-housing policies, modernize outdated zoning, and commit to responsible growth. Welcoming new housing should be a point of civic pride, not controversy.
Residents and business owners can engage locally: attend planning board meetings, support planned development, and speak up when projects that will catalyze our economy are on the line.
For too long, housing decisions have been made project by project, town by town, often with good intentions, but without a full appreciation of how interconnected our communities, families, and our economy really are to our housing production.
The result is what we have today: a statewide crisis that affects every corner of the state, every sector, and every generation. Maine can’t grow if workers can’t live here. Our children won’t stay — and new families won’t come — if we don’t have homes they can afford. And for many older Mainers, staying means remaining in homes that are no longer accessible or manageable — further straining housing availability and underscoring the need for more adaptable housing options across the state.
Let’s build the homes we need. Let’s support the people and industries that define Maine’s future. And let’s do it together.
Build Homes. Build Community. Build Maine’s Future.