A group of advocates for attainable housing for workers, families and older people in Harpswell held a second community forum on Jan. 5 to promote the idea of a local housing trust and recruit volunteers to implement it.
The forum’s organizers, who included members of the Harpswell Housing Committee and other local volunteers, explained the benefits of a housing trust to an audience of about 25 in-person and online attendees.
They also highlighted the efforts of housing organizations in other Maine communities, including Mount Desert Island and Orland, which could serve as models for a similar effort in Harpswell.
“We have, in town, missed serious opportunities for preserving access to affordable housing,” said Housing Committee Chair Sean Ruel, who led the meeting. “Various land opportunities or buildings that probably were available for donation … we weren’t able to access (them) because there was nobody to donate it to.”
It was the second such meeting organized by the group. They held the initial meeting in November to introduce the concept of a local housing trust and gauge residents’ interest in participating.
The organizers said the purpose of a Harpswell housing trust would be to serve the “missing middle” — families with children, local workers and older residents looking to downsize their living spaces.
Bob Gaudreau, a developer and vice chair of the Housing Committee, said it would be pointless to create low-income housing in Harpswell because there is no town center or public transit to support such residents.
What Harpswell really needs, he said, is more options for people who want to start a family, maintain a local job or downsize from a larger home without having to leave the community. He suggested that the trust focus on housing in the range of $350,000 to $650,000 — well below Harpswell’s typical median price range of $750,000 to $1 million.
The group explained that a housing trust can take several approaches, including selling entire properties to eligible buyers, selling homes while retaining ownership of the underlying land, or keeping properties in trust and renting out the homes.
Buyers and renters typically must meet eligibility requirements, such as being year-round residents, working locally, or qualifying for a mortgage. Buyers also may be subject to covenants, including minimum ownership periods, resale price limits or profit-sharing with the trust.
Aaron Fuchs, a retired finance expert who has volunteered to help facilitate the trust’s creation, said it would be up to the trust’s leadership to decide which approaches to pursue.
Attendees seemed to agree the trust should focus on acquiring existing Harpswell homes, perhaps to convert them into multiple-unit properties for sale or rent. They believe many residents would be willing to donate property to a local trust if they had the option.
“We need to do this to keep the community as it is,” said state Rep. Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, a member of the Housing Committee. “This is how we maintain the fabric of our community.”
Organizers said the trust would be privately controlled and independent of town government, similar to the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust. Attendee Neale Frothingham, a consultant to housing trusts, suggested partnering with an existing organization, but organizers said no group they’ve contacted has been willing.
A handful of attendees, including Gaudreau, said they would be willing to serve on the housing trust’s board. Fuchs has said the group needs a minimum of three board members, and that five or more would be preferable.
The group agreed to meet again on Feb. 9, at a time and location to be determined. Those who wish to be notified about future meetings can email Town Planner Margaret McIntire at mmcintire@town.harpswell.me.us or call the Harpswell Town Office at 207-833-5771.
