FARMINGTON — Kobi Perry of Western Maine Community Action confirmed Wednesday that the agency plans to purchase Mt. Blue Motel and Colonial Valley Motel on U.S. Route 2/state Route 4 and create 31 affordable apartments and three bedrooms for the homeless.
“We are working with over 90 households that are experiencing homelessness,” the agency’s Family and Health Service director said.
“We will be converting the motels into affordable housing along with three short-term housing bedrooms,” Perry said.
The agency serves Franklin County.
Its affordable housing and homeless plan includes building renovations by a general contractor, laundry facilities and some green space.
The project timeline has not been determined but the agency hopes to house people before next fall.
The project fits one of Western Maine Community Action’s top three priorities identified in its annual community needs assessment. They are housing, child care and transportation. Its board developed a strategic plan and decided to work on the first two.
MaineHousing Authority announced in August that it awarded the nonprofit agency about $7 million from the federal government to redevelop the motels on Wilton Road into 31 affordable apartments and shelter spaces.
The apartments will include efficiency and one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
Money for the development and two others in the state will come from the American Rescue Plan Act. The state was allocated $13.3 million by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the law passed in 2021.
Community action Executive Director Jim Trundy also announced the grant on the agency’s website in August.
“This project will support those experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, or experiencing housing instability by expanding affordable housing units and emergency shelter services in Franklin County at a time when the families we work with are unable to acquire any apartment at any price point,” Perry said.
The agency does not have access to the federal funds yet.
“We can’t sign any contracts at this stage,” she said.
The required environmental site review is done.
Attempts to contact Ricky Collins, owner of the motels, were not immediately successful.
Town Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser said Tuesday that a change of use plan has not been submitted to the Planning Board but he has notified agency representatives one is needed.
Western Maine Housing Director Bill Crandall worked closely to continue the homelessness mission of the now defunct Western Maine Homeless Outreach, which was previously on church property on Wilton Road in Farmington, according to the agency’s release.
The outreach “clearly demonstrated to our community the need for temporary, transitional, and sustained affordable housing for the greater Franklin County area,” according to Crandall.
Western Maine agency has continued its promise to the outreach, which closed in 2020, to work with those experiencing homelessness and to connect them to other agency programs and assist them in locating affordable rental units for those who are unsheltered, experiencing homelessness, and facing housing instability, the release stated.
The grant from MaineHousing will provide community action the means to acquire properties located within walking/biking distance to services and employment opportunities that many community members need.
The properties are on Western Maine Transportation’s Green Line, which makes four daily round trips between Franklin County and Lewiston/Auburn. Once in Lewiston/Auburn, there are public transportation services to Portland and beyond, according to the release. The bus service will also give residents the ability to travel to other needed services that are not within walking distance.
The MaineHousing Authority is an independent agency created by the Maine State Legislature in 1969 to address problems of unsafe, unsuitable, overcrowded, and unaffordable housing. At its core, the agency couples the efficiencies of the private financial markets with public purpose goals to provide affordable home ownership and rental housing opportunities for Maine people.
The Western Maine agency has over 55 years of helping hundreds of people and changing lives. Its work is complemented by many local partnerships that increases community impact. It has a history of working with many partners to accomplish affordable housing and other goals.
The agency will continue to refer homeless individuals and families when needed to current partners such as Rumford Group Homes, the Rural Community Action Ministry in Leeds, the Trinity Shelter in Skowhegan, Solon’s New Hope Shelter, United Methodist Economic Ministry in Salem Township, and St. Marten De Pores in Auburn.
For more information about this project or to contribute to further programming for the homeless, people may contact Kobi Perry at 207-860-4492 or email info@wmca.org.
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