There has been a lot of talk in the news lately about the availability of affordable housing in Maine, especially for our elderly and senior citizens.

Last fall, a bond initiative was passed that would allocate $15 million towards affordable housing projects for this sector of our state. I signed onto that bill, as I believe we need to do more to make Maine an affordable place for our citizens to be able to remain.

Unfortunately, to date, the governor hasn’t issued those bonds, but does have five years in which to do so. I suspect the next legislature may have a say in that debate. Only time will tell how that issue gets resolved.

However, my concern today has to do with affordable housing for our younger generation, who are finding it more and more difficult to stay in the communities they grew up in or the state they wish to raise their families in. Many of our teachers, firefighters, police and young professionals find it difficult to live in the towns in which they work.

In southern Maine, the housing crisis is getting worse as more and more retired folks from out of state are buying up our existing housing stock at higher and higher prices, using them for seasonal or secondary homes. With the median age of many southern coastal towns rising, we must be concerned about the shortage of younger, vibrant families with young children that add to a community’s long-term future.

My youngest son was fortunate, after graduating college, to find a job in Massachusetts, where they have a very aggressive first-time home buyers program, as well as a well-managed, affordable housing program around the state to accommodate these first-time home buyers.

The house he purchased was listed at well below market rates, and must remain in the affordable housing marketplace when he resells it. This has allowed him to live in a community, participate in community activities and be able to afford to pay off student loans while having a modest mortgage payment less than available rental rates.

He added to the local economy buying goods and services, and provided volunteer services within that community at the local school. This has been a win-win for everyone.

While Maine has a very good first-time homeowner’s financial program through the Maine State Housing Authority, which can assist with down payments, closing costs and lower interest rates, we do not have many viable, affordable housing options for these first-time homeowners, especially in southern Maine.

As our state continues to age and our younger residents are forced to live outside the communities or the state they grew up in, we must change this scenario where both our elderly residents and our young families can afford to live and work in this state.

Many younger families in the northern, rural part of our state would be a welcome influx into the southern Maine workforce that today seeks H-1B visas to fill many jobs that currently pay much higher than the minimum wage.

With Pratt and Whitney seeking to hire 600 workers in the near future and the naval shipyard in Kittery equally looking at higher employment numbers, the time has come for the southern Maine communities to seek affordable housing opportunities with area developers. This will be good for our state, for our towns, our employers/employees, our economy and our future.

I have encouraged my town of Wells to enter into a discussion about this very topic sometime early this fall. As I travel through the town while campaigning, I hear the same concerns voiced about why our sons and daughters, our teachers and emergency personnel can’t afford to live in the town that raised them and educated them.

If legislation is needed to assist in these developments, I’ll be happy to sponsor whatever is needed.

For me, the time has come to begin that discussion.

Robert Foley

State Representative

House District 7