MidCoast Regional Housing Trust begins workforce housing initiative in Rockland
ROCKLAND — “Two teachers moving here this year would together earn $86,000, but they probably won’t find any place to live, especially if we look at realistic housing cost,” said Jonathan Goss. “They can’t get assistance from existing organizations because there’s really no way to help them, at this point.”
According to Goss, president of a newly established housing trust called MidCoast Regional Housing Trust, not until that couple moves into the lower and mid-$90,000 household income that they can actually obtain housing in Rockland at the $1,500 or $1,800 a month rental fee.
While Midcoast Habitat For Humanity and Knox County Homeless Coalition work with families and individuals at the lowest rung of income, MCRHT aims to focus on the working families who are trapped in a demographic who able to earn, but not able to afford.
Rent is rising faster than home prices, and median income earned in Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties does not meet the needed income required for housing. Home prices for sale are increasing steadily, even though they are not keeping pace with the rent increases. Add to that, data from the Maine Department of Labor suggests that employers in Knox, Waldo, and Lincoln counties will need about 800 additional hires by 2028.
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