Portland Affordable Housing and Code Amendments: Big Changes for the City

Portland Affordable Housing and Code Amendments (4)

The city council of Portland City, the group of people who make big decisions for the city, has decided to put a lot of money into making housing more affordable for people. This is a big deal because it’s going to help a lot of people who are struggling to find a place to live that they can afford.

Portland Affordable Housing and Code Amendments

Money for New Homes in North Deering

Here’s the scoop: The council agreed to give $1.5 million to build new, affordable homes in a part of Portland called North Deering. This money is going to be used to build 72 homes that people can actually afford. The city is working with a couple of groups, Maine Cooperative Development Partners (MCDP) and Preservation of Affordable Housing, to make this happen.

Co-op Housing: A New Way to Live

Originally, MCDP wanted to make a new kind of housing called ‘co-op housing’. This is where people sort of join a club to live in a building, and over time, they own a part of it. It’s like buying a home, but easier and cheaper to get started. But they found out it’s kind of hard to get the money to do this. So, they decided to build regular affordable homes on one piece of land and keep the co-op idea for another piece.

Portland Affordable Housing and Code Amendments — Portland’s council is investing $1.5 million in affordable homes and cooperative housing in North Deering.

New Rules for Building More Houses

The council didn’t stop there. They also changed some rules to make it easier to build more houses in the city. Thanks to a new law called L.D. 2003, they can now build up to four homes in places where they could only build one before. This means more houses in the city, which is great for people looking for a place to live.

Everyone Wants More Affordable Homes

People in Portland really want these changes. They’ve been saying that houses are just too expensive, and it’s hard to live in the city. So, these new plans are a big relief for a lot of people.

Portland's council updated building rules, allowing up to four homes in areas previously limited to one, addressing the city's need for more affordable housing. — Portland’s council updated building rules, allowing up to four homes in areas previously limited to one, addressing the city’s need for more affordable housing.

Still Some Challenges Ahead

Even with these good changes, there are still some tough things to deal with. The schools in Portland need more money. They’re short by about $10 million, which is a lot. So, while the housing situation is getting better, the city still has to figure out how to help the schools.

Wrapping Up: Good News for Portland

Portland is doing some great things to make living in the city better for everyone. With the new Portland Affordable Housing and Code Amendments, more people will be able to find homes that they can afford, and the city is becoming a better place to live. It’s a big step forward!