Workers pour concrete footings and below-grade walls at the site of the future Tedford Housing shelter in Brunswick on Dec. 18. Courtesy of Andrew Lardie

Bank of America has awarded $50,000 to Brunswick-based Tedford Housing for its work addressing homelessness in the Midcoast.

The program, called the Neighborhood Champions, gave the Brunswick organization two years of flexible funding for the executive director’s leadership training resources, technical coaching and access to a national network of nonprofits. The training and support will help with Tedford Housing’s expansion project, said Tedford Housing Executive Director Andrew Lardie.

“So many more people in the Midcoast are struggling today who never imagined they would need assistance,” Lardie said. “This funding will allow us to expand our reach and enhance the quality of services in our new facility. The leadership development support will shape our culture-building throughout this transformation, ensuring that ‘Tedford 2.0′ can help more of our neighbors achieve stability more quickly.”

Lardie said that as staff structure becomes more complicated in the transition, it will be helpful to have guidance on things like ensuring staff growth and advancement or collecting data that could influence how program and funding requests operate.

Tedford Housing provides critical services across the Midcoast, including homelessness prevention, emergency shelters and more. The organization is in the process of constructing a new facility, which is expected to be completed in the upcoming year.

The new facility aims to expand the shelter capacity by 60% and also consolidate two of its shelters and administrative offices into one building. The new facility, which will be located on Thomas Point Road, according to project details.

Tedford Housing Broke ground on its new shelter in October and is expected to finish the building in 2025. Courtesy of Andrew Lardie

“Presently, at our construction side, we’re pouring concrete footings and below-grade walls,” Lardie said. “We’ll get the building enclosed in mid-spring and expect to finish construction in mid-October, 12 months from groundbreaking.”

Lardie said over the summer that the organization has wanted to expand for 10 years, and that the new building will help it pursue its mission. He added that this increase in capacity will address a longstanding community need exasperated by Maine’s housing crisis.

The award comes amid a bout of fundraising for the organization as it constructs the new facility in Brunswick. So far, it has raised 97% of its $8.8 million campaign goal with 459 donors. It also received a $10,000 award from the Bangor savings Bank Foundation in the summer.

Neighborhood Champions is part of BOA’s effort help communities address issues related to economic opportunity. It is an invitation-only program, which the bank describes as highly competitive, and awardees are selected by a committee.

“This year, we celebrate six years of strengthening Maine nonprofits that provide solutions to local challenges and promote economic advancement through Neighborhood Champions,” said Maine BOA President Brian King. “Providing these high-impact nonprofits with flexible funding and leadership training helps them address critical needs and scale their efforts in our communities. Countless individuals, families and neighborhoods have felt the profound impact that these nonprofits have had in Maine.”