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S P R I N G 2 0 2 4 / W O R K F O R M E 25 H e a lt h C a r e "There are people who would love to work and live in this area, but they can't afford to," says Cristy Williams, OceanView's human resources manager. "Our goal was if we can offer hous- ing, we might get the person from Bangor or farther away who wants to move to the south- ern part of the state, but there's no way they can afford it. Be- sides supporting our existing employees, it's a recruiting tool for others." Many Maine businesses have offered housing to employees for years, but primarily on a seasonal basis. Businesses in tourist destinations such as Bar Harbor provide places for sea- sonal employees. Wild blueberry growers make housing available to migrant workers during the annual summer harvest. Wreath- making firms in eastern Maine do the same in late fall. But what is not so common is businesses offering permanent housing to full-time employees at rates that won't drain their bank accounts. Priced out Rowe loves her job at OceanView and hated the dilapidated house she rented in West Paris, but the tight and pricey market pre- vented her from moving to the Portland area. She looked for houses and rental apartments, but the prices were simply too high among the slim pickings that were available. After looking around, Rowe figured it would cost her $5,000 or more simply to move into an apartment, and more than $2,000 a month for rent. Even if she could afford it, she had doubts she could even get an apartment against other people who were lining up and willing to bid up the price. Upon learning about Ocean- View's house, she jumped at the chance and moved in just over a year ago. She has a nice liv- ing environment and is close to OceanView, a retirement com- munity with independent-living cottages and apartments and assisted living and memory care facilities. Rowe works as a certi- fied residential medication aide and caregiver in OceanView's memory care unit, and she was recently promoted to supervisor. She pays $1,200 a month for a two-room bedroom suite and use of the kitchen, living room, yard and other common areas. Her 24-year-old son pays $900 a month for his room, as does Mya Gerry, both of whom also work in the memory-care unit. Before moving to the Ocean- View house, Gerry, 24, was liv- ing in a basement room at her mother's home in Bowdoinham along with her three brothers. She had a newborn son and the basement would sometimes get wet after heavy rains. Gerry worked per diem at OceanView at the time, and she felt she was going through a "quarter-life crisis" raising her son, Bentley, on her own with no savings and no idea what to do. She knew Rowe from work, who suggested she move into the house. Living in the house allows her to work full-time and raise her son in a secure environment she can call her own. More importantly, she has a pathway to a bright future. "Before, I didn't know what I was doing with my life," she says, tears coming to her eyes. "I didn't have a plan." Recruiting tool OceanView decided to buy a house for employees after notic- ing that some workers were leav- ing because they couldn't afford to live in the area anymore with such steep housing prices. The retirement community bought the ranch-style home in Cumber- land for $705,000 in early 2023. OceanView is now looking to add to its housing stock for workers. It's keeping an eye out for an apartment building, an- other home that could house multiple employees, or perhaps build apartments of its own. Not everyone is cut out for a room- mate situation like the Cumber- land house, Williams says, so it might be more advantageous to go the apartment route. Whatever the case, Ocean- V i e w c o n s i d e r s h o u s i n g a worthy investment. With 210 employees in nursing, dining, maintenance, housekeeping, transportation, business and other departments, OceanView is always looking for ways to attract employees. "Besides supporting our ex- isting employees it's a recruiting tool for others," Williams says. With home and rental prices so high, it's not a stretch to say Maine has a housing crisis. The median home price is $353,000 statewide and $525,000 in Cum- berland County, according to the latest statistics from Maine Association of Realtors. Zillow and other popular real estate market websites list the median rental price for a two-bedroom apartment in Portland at $2,000 to $3,000 a month. Those kinds of numbers, along with high interest rates, have prompted some organiza- tions and politicians to do what they can to ease the burden. Bowdoin College, for example, launched a forgivable loan pro- gram this year to assist employ- ees with the purchase of a first home in the Brunswick area. U.S Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, recently announced that he was joining federal legislation that would establish a new home loan program for law enforcement officers, firefighters, medical first responders and teachers to help them be able to afford to live in the communities where they work. At OceanView, Rowe gushes about the housing program. "I'm a huge advocate for work- ing for OceanView and the housing," she says. "If I hear anybody talk about a housing situation, I say you may want to look into this because it's a great opportunity." Besides, she adds, her travel time — and her gas bill — have dropped to near nothing now that her commute to work is under 10 minutes: "I absolutely love the drive." n Before, I didn't know what I was doing with my life. I didn't have a plan. — Mya Gerry OceanView worker Linda Rowe pays $1,200 a month for a two-room bedroom suite and use of the kitchen, living room, yard and other common areas. Her 24-year-old son pays $900 a month for his room, as does Mya Gerry, both of whom also work in the memory-care unit.