Featuring Panelists: Jacob van de Sande, Land Protection Project Manager Washington County, Maine Coast Heritage Trust; Greg Piduch, Regional Planner, Hancock County Planning Commission; Lynn Alley, Education Program Associate, DownEast Institute
Housing shortages continue to challenge Washington and Hancock County communities, affecting everything from workforce recruitment to economic growth. At the recent SCEC Economic Summit, regional partners explored how municipalities, land trusts, conservation groups, and research institutions are working together to create innovative housing solutions tailored to rural needs. Panelists were clear that no single organization can solve the housing crisis alone. Success requires collaboration across traditional boundaries, creative use of resources, and a willingness to think regionally rather than town by town.
Understanding the Challenge
Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC) has launched a Housing Opportunities Project to address the region’s housing needs. Over the next year, SCEC will work with local towns and partner organizations to create a toolkit that communities can use to plan for more housing. This toolkit will include regionally appropriate model ordinances, data, analysis and assessment of community infrastructure and potential housing sites or housing rehabilitation opportunities. Through this process, data will be gathered and provided to municipalities, developers, nonprofits, and other community groups to implement short- and long-term housing solutions.
This project will not only support investment in more housing, but that housing will be focused on the downtowns of communities already offering services and retail opportunities. Increasing housing opportunities downtown instead of spreading them out across the countryside has many benefits: it costs towns less to provide water, roads, and other services; it helps local businesses stay open by putting more customers nearby; it makes building new homes cheaper; it increases property values; it makes towns more walkable; and it brings neighbors closer together.
Learning from Regional Assessments
Greg Piduch of the Hancock County Planning Commission described how a countywide housing needs assessment has provided crucial baseline data. The study, completed through a Housing Opportunity Program Service Provider Grant, examines how housing affects development across the county and includes climate considerations, mapping resources, and a municipal survey capturing how towns and residents view the current housing market.
“This assessment helps set the tone for how to move forward,” Piduch explained. The information is already being used to support grant applications and assist towns with comprehensive planning, providing the foundation for addressing identified needs.
The Hancock County Planning Commission also supports two Regional Housing Forums bringing together municipalities in the Schoodic and Blue Hill Peninsulas. These monthly meetings connect municipal officials, regional nonprofits, and local committees to discuss housing challenges and share ideas. The approach emphasizes flexibility and open dialogue, allowing new ideas to emerge organically from collaborative conversations.
“The one thing I’ve learned is to have an open mind and lean into conversations that arise from these collaborations,” Piduch said. The biggest ongoing challenge is maintaining momentum and keeping participants engaged, though the groups are developing a rhythm that works for diverse stakeholders.
Land Trusts as Housing Partners
Jacob van de Sande of Maine Coast Heritage Trust described how MCHT has been working with communities to help acquire land for housing in the region for more than 30 years and how land trusts across the Downeast region are exploring new ways to partner with local communities to help address housing challenges. He stressed that MCHT carefully considers the types of land it will acquire for conservation purposes, especially if the land can serve other community needs like housing. “We don’t want to conserve land that is better suited for housing.” MCHT and other local land trusts can be a good resource for helping communities identify and acquire land for housing projects and provide grant writing and fundraising support.
van de Sande pointed to several successful land transfer project on Mount Desert Island where MCHT acquired property, combining both ecological conservation and housing needs. The organization also helped acquire land for housing in the Town of Cutler.
However, he acknowledged significant challenges. “It is really challenging for these small communities to manage complex affordable housing projects,” Van de Sande said. MCHT sees potential need for a nonprofit focused specifically on housing in the region, connecting partners and developing models that address shared challenges and opportunities.
Workforce Housing for Economic Development
Lynn Alley of Downeast Institute described how workforce housing directly supports the organization’s mission and the local economy. DEI was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Northern Border Development Commission to rehabilitate four cabins across the cove from their facility. Two cabins can be saved while two will be rebuilt, providing housing for visiting scientists, families, and young employees.
The project reflects broader housing challenges in coastal communities. Alley noted that Beals and Jonesport now have approximately 50 Airbnb listings, limiting year-round rental availability for people who want to work in the area. While short-term rentals provide income for property owners, they reduce housing options for the workforce.
DEI is working to raise $900,000 total for the project, with anonymous funders offering to match $300,000 if the organization can raise that amount by year’s end. The beautiful coastal location requires environmental protection review, adding complexity to the development process.
Beyond grant funding, DEI has focused on building local support through education programs that have brought 900 student visits this fall, along with diversifying earned income through seed sales and selective breeding programs, such as development of the Maine Gold Mussel.
Moving Forward Together
Forum participants identified several key challenges: systemic issues with dilapidated homes, cost prohibitive private development, declining federal support for affordable housing compared to previous decades, and the need for programs that enable smaller scale private investment in housing.
Resources are emerging to help. The Community Caring Collaborative offers the Joy Fund to help first time homebuyers with inspection costs. The Maine Community Development Association provides training and connections to funding sources. Banks offer financing programs, though navigating the landscape of federal, state, and private funding remains complex.
The message from all partners was consistent: regional collaboration is essential. Thinking beyond municipal boundaries, leveraging different organizations’ strengths, and maintaining flexibility can help communities develop housing solutions that work for rural communities.
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This article is based on a panel discussion that took place on November 14, 2025, as part of SCEC’s Annual Economic Summit. The conversation was moderated by Crystal Hitchings, Co-Director of the Sustainable Prosperity Initiative, SCEC, with notes compiled by Maine Service Fellow at SCEC, Deven Thapaliya. Jen Peters, Director of Community Development, SCEC served as the breakout session liaison.