10/07/16 Dana Totman, Avesta
Posted by Ben Lowry
(Photo: Roxane Cole, Dana Totman and President Laura Young.)Last Friday, at a crowded Holiday Inn, Roxane Cole introduced Dana Totman to our club. Not only is Dana the President of Avesta Housing, he is an accomplished mountain climber, having recently returned from hikes in Alaska and Colorado.
Founded in 1972, Avesta has 125 employees, an annual budget of $30 million, $250 million in assets (held mostly in their 82 properties) and provides housing for 3200 people in 35 cities and towns in Maine and New Hampshire. With mottos of “good housing equals good health” and “improving lives and strengthening communities through affordable housing,” Avesta works within a variety of areas in helping those in need to obtain not only housing but information regarding both rentals and home ownership.
In working with governmental agencies and municipalities, developing new properties, managing their existing locations, running a home ownership center and advocating for the elderly, Avesta is continually working to come to the aid of those in need…and there are many in need. As recent media reports have outlined, there is a major housing shortage in Maine in general and in Portland, in particular. Rentals average $1426 for a two-bedroom apartment in Portland, which means (using the standard “30% rule”) that a renter should earn about $57,000 per year to afford that rental. However, the average income is just $33,000, which means that the average renter can only afford $827 per month. So, the question is: should rents be dropped or should income rise? Dana feels that the answer is not black and white but a cooperative effort is needed.
With homelessness up 18% in the past few years and 10,000 seniors on waiting lists for housing in the state, there is certainly a need for new, affordable housing in all areas of the region. Dana ran through a long list of new construction projects that are attempting to address some of this glaring need. But Avesta alone cannot provide the relief needed. Towns and cities need to donate properties, housing Tax Increment Financing (TIF’s) need to be implemented, the $15 million senior citizen housing bond that was voted in two years ago needs to be released by the governor, and the mortgage interest deduction bill that sits in committee in Washington needs to be passed, the result of which would free up 20 billion dollars to help with the housing crunch.
There are no easy fixes, for sure, but we should be proud to have an advocate like Dana Totman looking out for those seeking what we all take for granted: a place to call home. As Jane Austen said, “there is nothing like staying home for real comfort.”
Founded in 1972, Avesta has 125 employees, an annual budget of $30 million, $250 million in assets (held mostly in their 82 properties) and provides housing for 3200 people in 35 cities and towns in Maine and New Hampshire. With mottos of “good housing equals good health” and “improving lives and strengthening communities through affordable housing,” Avesta works within a variety of areas in helping those in need to obtain not only housing but information regarding both rentals and home ownership.
In working with governmental agencies and municipalities, developing new properties, managing their existing locations, running a home ownership center and advocating for the elderly, Avesta is continually working to come to the aid of those in need…and there are many in need. As recent media reports have outlined, there is a major housing shortage in Maine in general and in Portland, in particular. Rentals average $1426 for a two-bedroom apartment in Portland, which means (using the standard “30% rule”) that a renter should earn about $57,000 per year to afford that rental. However, the average income is just $33,000, which means that the average renter can only afford $827 per month. So, the question is: should rents be dropped or should income rise? Dana feels that the answer is not black and white but a cooperative effort is needed.
With homelessness up 18% in the past few years and 10,000 seniors on waiting lists for housing in the state, there is certainly a need for new, affordable housing in all areas of the region. Dana ran through a long list of new construction projects that are attempting to address some of this glaring need. But Avesta alone cannot provide the relief needed. Towns and cities need to donate properties, housing Tax Increment Financing (TIF’s) need to be implemented, the $15 million senior citizen housing bond that was voted in two years ago needs to be released by the governor, and the mortgage interest deduction bill that sits in committee in Washington needs to be passed, the result of which would free up 20 billion dollars to help with the housing crunch.
There are no easy fixes, for sure, but we should be proud to have an advocate like Dana Totman looking out for those seeking what we all take for granted: a place to call home. As Jane Austen said, “there is nothing like staying home for real comfort.”
For more information on Avesta, go to their website at: www.avestahousing.org/