A few weeks ago, while driving my older daughter to school, she asked me what I thought would happen to the John F. Kennedy School building here in Biddeford once it closed. I told her I hoped they would create affordable housing units on that lot.
“All you ever talk about is housing,” she said. “Housing, housing, housing!” I couldn’t help but laugh, because there is some truth to that.
Housing connects many different areas of public policy and impacts Biddeford residents and folks across our state. I discussed it in last month’s column about the Legislature’s budget, but I think it’s important to dive deeper into the topic to assess where we are and where we need to go as a state.
This year, the Legislature voted to invest an additional $20 million in the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. The Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program, administered by MaineHousing, assists developers in the creation of 5-18 unit rental housing where 100% of the units are leased to households making no more than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) at rates affordable to that income level, in areas classified as “rural” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many areas of Biddeford, especially in my district, qualify.
This doesn’t mean that every square inch of rural Biddeford will or should be developed. Any proposed projects would still require city approval. However, it does mean that we can invest in more affordable housing opportunities in all parts of our city. As I’ve often said, any housing solution that does not include building more units is simply insufficient.
The budget also invests $10 million to build new energy-efficient housing units through the Affordable Homeownership Program. Additionally, we passed a separate bill to sell three recently vacated courthouses in Biddeford, Springvale and York to local housing authorities to convert them into affordable housing units. The old courthouse in Biddeford is in an ideal location – downtown, easily accessible by bus and close to many goods and services.
Of course, if we want to build more housing, we need workers – making added investments in workforce development crucial. The ongoing construction of the revamped Biddeford Regional Center of Technology will allow us to supercharge our efforts to prepare students for careers in many fields, including building trades. We’ve also invested in apprenticeship programs like the ones available through many labor unions, which are preparing workers for good-paying jobs with the compensation and dignity they deserve.
Speaking of dignity, I would be remiss if I did not address the unhoused crisis. I recently saw a right-wing media outlet share photos on social media of the encampment in Biddeford in a predatory and intentionally provocative way that was meant to shame people and attack our community to score political points. But the reality is that homelessness exists in every community in Maine, and we have a moral obligation to help our most vulnerable find long-term shelter. In addition to building more housing that people can afford, our budget invests in low-barrier shelters and treatment.
The City of Biddeford is also working to address this problem within our borders because nobody should have to live in a tent outside. This is a highly complex problem requiring support from all levels of government – local, state and federal – as well as non-governmental community organizations. Nobody has all the answers, but I applaud the city for also taking important steps.
As my daughter and I drove past JFK School, I also thought of one beloved younger teacher leaving the Biddeford school system. She had been commuting 50 minutes one-way, and while she loved the school and the people, that kind of commute is hard on a family. Ultimately, she decided to accept a job five minutes from her home. Our loss is that community’s (and her family’s) gain, but it puts a humanizing face on the problem. If hardworking teachers and staff cannot afford to live in Biddeford, we’ll lose them to other districts. We have to create housing they can afford.
We can and must do much, much more – and I’m committed to continuing that work in the Legislature.
Rep. Marc Malon is serving his first term in the Maine House, representing a portion of Biddeford. He serves as a member of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee and the Labor and Housing Committee.
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