Having read the Jan. 27 article headlined “Lawmakers considering proposal for state board to permit affordable housing,” I believe such a board should not be established.
Affordable housing is a focus for most Maine towns. In Scarborough, one of the Town Council’s main 2024 goals is to increase affordable housing. In Scarborough, developers’ projects go through the process of meeting the requirements of town ordinances and Planning Board procedures before being approved by the Town Council. The proposal for a state overseeing board would assist developers if they did not meet building requirements required by local regulations. When town regulations are challenged, developers would appeal to this proposed state board, bypassing local control.
Perhaps another way to achieve much needed affordable housing would be to increase requirements for all developments, no matter the size of the project, from the current affordable housing requirement of 10% to 25% or 30%. Also, developers can currently opt out of affordable housing by paying a fee for each affordable housing unit in the 10% requirement. This option could be eliminated.
Changes like these would increase Maine’s affordable housing and would maintain local control.
Nina McKee
Scarborough
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