Avesta Housing has opened the first affordable housing development in Farmington, Maine, in more than two decades
To mark the milestone, officials gathered at the 25-unit Edgewater Village for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 25.
“Today is an exciting day for the Avesta team after years of hard work to make this development happen, but it's a bigger celebration because it marks a new beginning for the residents who will make Edgewater Village their new home—now and for decades into the future,” said Jennifer Hawkins, president and CEO of Avesta Housing, the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in northern New England. “Edgewater Village is an active community where older adults will be able to age in place with comfort.”
Home to residents 55 and older, the $9.5 million development was made possible through MaineHousing’s allocation of, and WNC’s investment in, $3.9 million in 4% low-income housing tax credits, plus more than $5 million in other funding sources, including federal and state HOME, a Community Development Block Grant, private philanthropy, and energy rebates from Efficiency Maine.
Avesta’s development team for Edgewater Village include Kaplan Thompson Architects, general contractor E.W. Littlefield & Sons, legal representation from Curtis Thaxter, and Walsh Engineering. Other key partners are the town of Farmington, Franklin Savings Bank, and The Caleb Group.
“Our older community is in dire need of this type of housing,” said Farmington town manager Erica LaCroix. “Having something like this in town allows them to age with dignity, and we are looking forward to seeing what else we can do with Avesta in the future.”