Everyone deserves a place to call home.

A word from Rebecca

Last November, Avesta Housing and Preble Street announced plans to provide Housing First permanent housing with on-site support services to chronically homeless people on the site of the former Oxford Street shelter in Portland. On Tuesday, June 25, we will present plans for this development to the City of Portland Planning Board. 

Avesta is planning to develop a diverse, mixed-income community consisting of two components — site-based Housing First and multifamily residential — with 48 affordable homes. Obtaining municipal approval will bring us a step closer to beginning construction on this development. 

Site-based Housing First has proven to be a cost-effective, permanent solution to ending homelessness across the United States. It provides safe, quality, affordable housing with 24/7 supportive services to people experiencing chronic homelessness, giving them a much greater chance of succeeding and reducing encounters with law enforcement and emergency services. 

Avesta and Preble Street have decades of experience providing Housing First homes and services, as we collaborated on the first three site-based Housing First properties in Maine — Logan Place, which opened in 2005; Florence House (2010); and Huston Commons (2017). Avesta owns and operates the properties, and Preble Street provides 24/7 onsite support services, harm reduction, and crisis intervention to maximize housing stability and prevent returns to homelessness. 

According to the latest Point in Time Count, almost 3,000 people — individuals, families, adults and children — are experiencing homelessness in Maine. Developments like the one we are proposing at Oxford Street are crucial to reducing this number. I encourage you to support this development by attending the Planning Board meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, either in person at City Hall, 389 Congress St., Portland, or remotely via Zoom. If you cannot attend but want to make your voice heard, you can submit a public comment by noon Monday. Click here to view the agenda and for information on how to attend the meeting remotely and submit public comments. 

Together, we can work to end chronic homelessness in Portland and in the State of Maine.

Rebecca Hatfield, President & CEO

Village Commons creates 31 new affordable homes for older adults

Village Commons (Photo courtesy Kaplan Thompson Architects)

Avesta celebrated the addition of 31 new affordable homes for older adults on June 18 with the grand opening celebration of Village Commons, 246 U.S. Route 1, Scarborough.

Village Commons opened to residents

in February and combines a creative approach to affordable housing with smartgrowth development principles to provide safe, quality, affordable homes for ages 55 and older.

Rebecca Hatfield

The building is part of Firehouse Village, a 2.6-acre development on the site of Scarborough’s former public safety campus in the Oak Hill neighborhood. Avesta Housing was approached by the Firehouse Village developer, Firehouse Ventures LLC, to add affordable housing to the campus’ mix of retail, dining, and office space.

“This effort illustrates how former public space can be transformed to help create much-needed affordable housing and promote a vibrant, accessible mixed-use community for residents and neighbors,” said Avesta Housing President & CEO Rebecca Hatfield. “It is also a testament to how collaboration can help to create more affordable housing.”

Dawn with her father, Bill, and his dog, Bo

Dawn Pendergrass described how Avesta helped her 74-year-old father find an affordable home after he lost his life savings from an internet scam that targeted older adults. Suddenly finding himself on an extremely limited income, he could not find an apartment that he could afford. Then Dawn got a phone call from Avesta telling her that her father had been approved for an apartment at Village Commons.

"Tears streamed down my face as I signed the initial paperwork in the (Avesta) office. The stress and worry that I had been carrying for the past year began to lift," Dawn said. "Avesta Housing saved my dad."

Also speaking at the grand opening were Jack Soley of Firehouse Ventures LLC; Mark Wiesendanger, director of development for MaineHousing; and April Sither, vice chair of the Scarborough Town Council. U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, congratulated Avesta on the development's completion in a pre-recorded message.

Thank you to everyone who attended the grand opening and to everyone who continues to support our mission to promote and provide affordable homes to people in need. Stay tuned for information about more grand openings and a groundbreaking this fall!

New strategic plan targets affordable housing needs through 2027

In summer 2023, Avesta Housing’s Board of Directors and staff began the process of developing a strategic plan that will guide our organization through 2027. The process was undertaken with broad input from a variety of stakeholders, including employees, board members, external partners, and residents.

Using that input, we have put five strategic priorities in place to guide our organizational vision. These priorities are:

• Housing supply
• Access to affordable housing
• Workplace excellence
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Climate resiliency

Click below for more details.

Avesta presents Mission Champion Award to Kennebunk Savings

(L-R): Douglas Stockbridge, board member, Avesta Housing Board of Directors and vice chair, Kennebunk Savings Board of Directors; Rebecca Hatfield, Avesta Housing president and CEO; Bradford C. Paige, CEO, Kennebunk Savings; Liz Torrance, vice president and social responsibility manager, Kennebunk Savings; Dennis Byrd, senior executive vice president and COO, Kennebunk Savings; and Nate Howes, senior development officer, Avesta Housing

Avesta is proud to announce that it has presented its Mission Champion Award to Kennebunk Savings for its work to provide safe, quality, affordable homes for older adults in Kennebunk.

The Mission Champion Award is presented annually to an individual or organization who has made significant contributions to the promotion and provision of affordable housing. Motivated by the housing crisis, Kennebunk Savings donated 12 acres and more than half a million dollars to Avesta Housing in 2023. The donation will facilitate development of a new 70-unit affordable housing community for ages 55 and older in Kennebunk and support future phases of affordable housing in the area.

Click below to read the press release.

Avesta leaders featured at Women's Leadership Institute celebration

(L-R): Kristin Ryan, director of networks and partnership at Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute (OSWLI); Andrea Dodge Patstone, coastal region president at MaineHealth, chair of Avesta Housing Board of Directors, and Olympia’s Leaders advisor for Oxford Hills '21 & '24; Rebecca Hatfield, president and CEO at Avesta Housing; and Tessa Solomon, administrative assistant of international development at Babson College and chair of the OSWLI Alumni Council (Photo courtesy OSWLI)

Avesta Housing President & CEO Rebecca Hatfield and Avesta Board of Directors Chair Andrea Dodge Patstone recently served as featured panelists at the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute year-end celebration at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

The event was held for more than 300 Olympia’s Leaders (high school girls who participate in the program), more than 125 of their mentors, and other Leaders Network guests. The facilitated panel focused on the value of building, maintaining, and seeking support from a network. Panelists shared how their values guide them when making important life decisions and how they tapped their mentors, networks, and other people who know them well for support.

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