Roadmap eyes future solutions as Maine grapples with housing needs
Posted on July 17, 2025 | News
Eastern Maine Development Corporation created a roadmap to tackle Maine’s housing crisis by promoting affordable housing and reforming zoning laws.
Author: Brianna Bush
Published: 6:37 PM EDT July 16, 2025
Updated: 8:18 PM EDT July 16, 2025
MAINE, USA — As Maine continues to grapple with the ongoing housing crisis, one organization is hoping to provide towns with guidance on how to best approach the issue.
“We’re in a housing crisis,” Hope Eye, the senior regional planner for Eastern Maine Development Corporation, said.
Eye is concerned about what housing in Maine will look like over the next decade if changes aren’t made.
“It’s really important that we get on top of the housing crisis,” Eye said.
Data from the 2023 Maine Housing Production Needs Study and U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Penobscot County will need 3,733 homes by 2030.
That same data shows Piscataquis County will need 503 homes by 2030 to keep up with the rising demand.
“That emphasizes the need for this kind of work, for reforms, for zoning, and just for, honestly, an extra set of eyes for the region as a whole,” Eye said.
Eye is leading the effort to create a housing roadmap that guides towns on how to implement more affordable and workforce-ready homes.
“We want to make sure people who are involved in the workforce get jobs in the region are able to stay in the region,” Eye said.
The roadmap addresses issues in the towns of Greenville, Old Town, and Lincoln, like aging housing stock, zoning and land-use regulations, and rising housing costs.
“It’s key to the town of Lincoln because we have a population that’s 52 percent below the low-to-moderate income range,” Ruth Birtz, the economic development administrator for the Town of Lincoln, said.
Birtz said the goal is to create more affordable single-family homes and rentals in the area.
“That clearly addresses immediately through zoning to provide more area for developers to build and construct this type of housing,” Birtz said.
While the roadmap aims to help alleviate the housing crisis in towns like Lincoln, leaders are hoping it can be used as a guide for the whole region and state.
“It gives a lot of detail and a lot of guidance on how to find the tools that you need for the housing crisis,” Jennifer King, the CEO of EDMC, said.
To view EDMC’s housing roadmap, click here.