Lewiston Housing

Lewiston Housing, in partnership with the Official City of Lewiston, Maine, has been awarded a $2.5 million Supplemental Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant highlights our commitment to revitalizing Lewiston's housing landscape through the resident-led Growing Our Tree Streets Transformation Plan, a 25-year initiative to transform the Tree Streets neighborhood.

Lewiston Housing receives $2.5M for ongoing Tree Streets revitalization The supplemental HUD funding will help advance construction and redevelopment of affordable and mixed-income housing in the neighborhood.

Thank you to Evernorth for providing this crucial funding for Wedgewood and many other projects around the state!

$61M investor fund will finance 5 Maine affordable housing projects Affordable housing projects are planned for Bath, Belfast, Bangor, Augusta and Lewiston, offering a total of 222 units.

Lewiston Housing Commissioner, Muhidin Libah, is making the news again!

Senator Angus S. King, Jr. recently visited the Somali Bantu Community Association's Liberation Farms and was very impressed with the work being done there. Senator King told the Somali Bantu Community Association's Executive Director, Commissioner Libah, "you've got the right idea at the right time with the right people" and we agree!

Congratulations, Commissioner Libah!

Angus King impressed by Wales farm operated by Somali farmers 'I like this on every level,' Maine's junior senator said during his tour of Liberation Farms.

We are thrilled to announce that MaineHousing has approved our funding application for Martel Apartments! This approval paves the way for us to proceed on 44 new affordable apartments for seniors at the former Martel School site in Lewiston. Stay tuned as we move forward with this transformative project.

https://lewistonhousing.org/lewiston-housing-and-nonprofit-partner-lewiston-auburn-area-housing-development-corporation-announce-new-senior-housing-at-former-martel-school-site/

We're thrilled to share that we are preserving 128 affordable senior homes in Lewiston for the long term. This is part of our ongoing commitment to housing security for seniors.

St Mary’s Health System and Lewiston Housing Announce Plan to Transfer Ownership of Senior Property - Lewiston Housing Press ReleaseChris Kilmurry, Executive DirectorLewiston [email protected] Karen Sullivan, SVP and Chief Communications OfficerCovenant [email protected] St Mary’s Health System and Lewiston Housing Announce Plan to Transfer Ownership of Senior Property LEWI...

🚧 Exciting News from the Martel School Site! 🚧

Demolition has begun at the old Martel School site, paving the way for new affordable housing for seniors. Our application for funding was submitted at the end of March, underscoring our commitment to supporting senior citizens with affordable and comfortable homes. Watch the demolition process below and stay updated as we transform this historic site into a vibrant residential community.

https://www.sunjournal.com/2024/04/09/photo-video-demolition-of-former-martel-school-in-lewiston/

Demolishing Martel Excavators from St. Laurent & Son demolish the former Martel Elementary School in Lewiston where Lewiston Housing will construct "affordable senior housing."...

We are pleased to share that Commissioner Muhidin Libah of Lewiston Housing has recently been named one of the 2024 Business Leaders of the Year by Mainebiz for the incredible work he does at his organization, the Somali Bantu Community Association of Maine! Congratulations, Muhidin, and thank you for your contribution to Lewiston Housing's work as well as everything you do for the greater Lewiston community and beyond.

Business Leaders: Muhidin Libah is cultivating farms, a nonprofit and Maine's Somali Bantu community The Breaking Barriers Award goes to a 2024 Business Leader of the Year who helped grow the Somali Bantu Community Association from a seedling group to a thriving collaboration of New American farmers.

The demolition of Martel School is scheduled to start soon to make way for Martel Apartments, which will provide 44 new affordable homes for seniors in Lewiston. We are finalizing our LIHTC application to MaineHousing to make this vision a reality.

There are exciting things on the horizon!

Asked about the next phase of development Wednesday, Lewiston Housing Executive Director Chris Kilmurry said, “With so much momentum in the area, and so much need for housing, it just made sense” to use the downtown lots for in-fill development.

Lewiston Housing proposing more development on Ash, Park streets Preliminary designs call for between 64 and 72 units at 61 Ash St., while a second phase would put more housing at 104 Park St., the former home of the Sun Journal.

It's great to be a part of this community!

This holiday season, we're proud to partner with the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce for the Stuff the Bus campaign!

Families in our region are facing challenges, and we believe that small actions can make a big difference. You can help Stuff the Bus this year by purchasing gifts for all ages and dropping them off at the chamber office or one of the public drop-off locations.
Let's make this year's Stuff the Bus the biggest one yet!

Learn more at https://lametrocc.com/STB2023

What a wonderful gesture on behalf of our partners, the Androscoggin Gleaners! We have bags with carrots, squash, garlic and fresh apple sauce. Plus, Bell Farms generously donated 10lb bags of potatoes.

These generous donations will be distributed at food pantries at our properties as well as dropped off to residents by our wonderful staff.

It will certainly be a delicious Thanksgiving!

We are heartbroken and in shock from last night's tragedy. Words cannot describe the shared grief we feel, and our prayers go out to all those personally affected by this unimaginable event.

Due to the current shelter-in-place order, all of our offices remain closed, and we ask that residents follow police orders and remain indoors with doors locked.

We are still available for emergency maintenance if you live in one of our managed properties. Please call (207) 783-0367 to place a work order. All other inquiries may be made to (207) 783-1423 or [email protected].

If you need to speak with a mental health professional, please call the Maine Crisis line at 1-888-568-1112.

Take a look at these beautiful bird's eye view photos of the first phase of the Wedgewood project! Work has begun on this Choice Neighborhoods housing development. When all is said and done, 9 buildings will be built with a total of 82 units. It's exciting to see it from this vantage point!

Photo Album: Wedgewood housing project begins in Lewiston An aerial view of the ongoing work at the downtown construction project.

The Maine Aging Study being conducted by the University of Southern Maine on behalf of the Maine Office of Aging and Disability Services will consist of a statewide survey for older adults, a survey for family caregivers, focus groups, key informant interviews, and listening sessions. Topics being addressed throughout this study include healthcare, food/nutrition, housing, transportation, receiving and giving care, safety, and socialization.

Information collected will be used to inform the development of the 2025-2028 Maine State Plan on Aging that outlines goals, objectives, strategies, and performance measures for Older Americans Act funded aging services and programs -- like Meals on Wheels -- that are so important to older adults across all Maine communities! In addition to Maine’s State Plan on Aging, this input is also used to inform the planning and policy direction of the Governor’s Cabinet on Aging.

See below for more info on how to participate!

We are so excited that The Color Wizard is working his magic to beautify our main office location on Lisbon St! We can't wait to see the finished product. Thank you so much to Jared Goulette for bringing his talents to our little corner of downtown Lewiston.

Photo: Lisbon Street mural on its way The Color Wizard works his magic Monday afternoon on Lisbon Street.

APARTMENTS AVAILABLE!

We currently have two 2-bedroom/1 bathroom apartments available at our Maple Knoll property in Lewiston.

Maple Knoll Apartments is a public housing property located just steps from local shops and restaurants, the Androscoggin river, and many other amenities in Lewiston. This property features on site laundry, off street parking, and 24/7 on call maintenance. The rent is based on 30% of your annual income and requires applicants to qualify based on low-income guidelines set by the State of Maine. For more information on those guidelines, please reach out to the email address below.

Please RSVP to an open house scheduled for Tuesday, August 8th, from 11am to 1pm, by emailing [email protected]. Applications will be available at this time.

Maple Knoll Apartments, located at 76 Maple Street in Lewiston ME, is managed by Lewiston Housing. Lewiston Housing provides dignified, safe, and affordable housing free of discrimination to those eligible persons who are in need of housing assistance and, in so doing, promotes economic uplift and personal growth.

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday for the Wedgewood groundbreaking ceremony! This was a significant milestone in creating 82 new affordable and market rate apartments in Lewiston, Maine as part of the Choice Neighborhood Initiative. Special thanks to U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Senator Angus S. King, Jr., Governor Janet Mills, Mayor Carl Sheline, MaineHousing Director Dan Brennan, Avesta Housing, Official City of Lewiston, Maine, Tree Streets Neighborhood Resident & School Committee Member Ashley Medina, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public & Indian Housing Richard J. Monocchio for being in attendance.

“We are thrilled to commence construction on a housing development that will soon introduce 82 quality homes to the Lewiston community,” said Chris Kilmurry, Executive Director of Lewiston Housing. “Wedgewood will provide much needed affordable and market rate rental housing in the heart of the city. This endeavor underscores our commitment to fostering a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive Lewiston, and sets the benchmark for future housing developments in the region.”

Architects’ renderings of Wedgewood development courtesy of Kaplan Thompson Architects.

Look at these happy bikers!

This family from our Hillview property received bikes and helmets from the Bike Drive by Bio Fuels. Fun!

A huge thank you to Bio Fuels who have delivered over 150 bikes to Hillview in the last few years -- that's over half of the children that live at the property!

We are thrilled to share that our former administrative offices at One College St. have found a wonderful new purpose!

As part of our ongoing downtown Choice Neighborhoods redevelopment project, this location has been transformed into the fourth Lewiston location for Promise Early Education Center. This exciting expansion is the first completed project from our Choice Implementation Grant.

Now serving over 250 children across all seven of its locations in Androscoggin County, Promise Early Education Center offers comprehensive educational services and support to low-income families, contributing significantly to the enrichment of our community.

Promise's move will allow for the expansion of Community Clinical Services, Inc' health clinic at B Street, another piece of the Choice Implementation Grant.

Early childhood program for low-income families expands in downtown Lewiston In March, Promise Early Education Center opened its fourth location in Lewiston, enabling the nonprofit to care for 16 additional children in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the state.

Please join us and many other fantastic organizations to learn about housing resources and employment programs in our community! Thursday June 8th 3:00pm-6:00pm at Festival Plaza in Auburn. Hope to see you there!

An FSS Success Story!

The Family Self Sufficiency Program (FSS) is a free program for Public Housing & Section 8 Residents. The program helps families build an escrow/savings account while working towards goals they set with their Success Coach. As the household’s income increases and their rent increases, Lewiston Housing deposits the difference between their old rent and new rent into an escrow/savings account. Participants have up to 5 years to achieve their goals. Once they have met their goals, they receive the amount they have saved in the escrow/savings account. This money can be used however they choose! FSS funds have been used towards down payments on houses, on new vehicles, and many other exciting endeavors!

Our most recent graduate of the FSS program is Ashley Strout. Ashley is pictured here with her Success Coach, Mandy Guy. Ashley participated in the program for 5 years and received her check today! Congratulations, Ashley, on a job well done!

If you are Public Housing or Section 8 resident with Lewiston Housing and are interested in the program, reach out today! The Success Coach contact info is listed below. Today could be the day to start working toward your financial goals!

Public Housing: Hannah Sadler, (207) 705-3331, [email protected]

Section 8: Mandy Guy, (207) 705-3262, [email protected]

Congratulations Raise-Op Housing Cooperative, on the grand opening of your innovative and eco-friendly housing project at 198 Blake Street!

This is the first certified passive house building in Androscoggin County, and Lewiston Housing is proud to manage these energy-efficient, high-quality, affordable homes. The attention to detail in design and construction is impressive, with unique features like sun shades for energy savings and solar awnings for optimal lighting.

Here's to a brighter and greener future for Lewiston!

See the new ‘passive’ housing stock in downtown Lewiston Raise-Op Housing Cooperative celebrated the opening Tuesday of 18 new 'passive housing' units in downtown Lewiston on Tuesday, the first such units in Androscoggin County.

NEED REPAIRS? We can help!

Lewiston Housing's Comfortably Home Program aims to assist aging homeowners in Androscoggin County with home modifications to ensure their homes are safe. Repairs may include installation of safety equipment, minor repairs, and accessibility modifications.

Contact Program Administrator, Chelsea Steele, today to find out more info. She can be reached at 207-713-5363 or [email protected].

Are you a homeowner in Androscoggin County? Are you 62+? And do you want to improve the way you do at least one daily living task (such as bathing, medication management, or cleaning)?

Then we may have the program for you! Contact Program Administrator, Chelsea Steele, today for more information. She can be reached at 207-713-5363 or [email protected].

The rescheduled sledding event is happening today at 2:30pm! We hope to see you there!

The Healthy Neighborhoods and Lewiston Housing sledding event that was rescheduled is happening tomorrow! Join in on the sledding fun at McGraw Park, 280 Bartlett Street in Lewiston, from 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM.

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS NOW FOR BLAKE & WALNUT!

Blake & Walnut offers comfortable, sustainable, and affordable living in Lewiston. These two buildings are owned by Raise-Op, a community-based organization committed to providing affordable housing to low-income families in the area.

Blake & Walnut is dedicated to providing top-notch amenities that make life easier and more enjoyable for its residents. The one, two, and four-bedroom apartments have parking, heat/hot water, air cooling and ventilation, backyard space, dishwasher, washer-dryer-in-unit, and accessible units on the first floor. Property management services are provided by Lewiston Housing, and resident services are provided by Raise-Op staff, ensuring that the needs of the residents are well taken care of.

As a housing cooperative that utilizes the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program as a financing mechanism, Blake & Walnut offers affordable prices ranging from $896-$1386 per month, with income restrictions applying at 60% AMI.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be a part of the Blake & Walnut community! Apply today and start experiencing the best of Lewiston living.

Maximum Income restrictions apply at 60% AMI:

1 person household: $33,480
2 person household: $38,220
3 person household: $43,020
4 person household: $47,760
5 person household: $51,600
6 person household: $55,440
7 person household: $59,280
8 person household: $63,060

The buildings will be move-in ready beginning Spring - Summer 2023 (pending construction.)

APPLICATIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE: https://lewistonhousing.org/blake-walnut-now-accepting-applications/

Post Updated 3/9/23: Photo of rendering replaced with photo of 198 Blake St as it currently looks under construction.