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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 7 D E C E M B E R 1 , 2 0 2 5 Maine's shortfall of affordable housing A surge in pandemic-era home buy- ing created a "troubling trend" in the lack of affordability, according to an annual economic progress report. e report shows that the share of Maine households unable to afford a median- priced home rose from 39% in 2020 to 64% in 2024, based on the methodol- ogy adopted by MaineHousing this year. Under that standard, the cost of a mortgage, taxes and insurance would exceed 30% of a household's income. e findings were published in the lat- est "Measures of Growth" barometer by the Maine Economic Growth Council, a nonpartisan group administered by the Maine Development Foundation. Regulator shuts down bid for rate hike Maine's utilities regulator voted to dismiss a proposal by Central Maine Power Co. to raise electricity rates over the next five years by an average of $35 a month. e controversial plan called for raising distribution rates by $17 per month in 2025, followed by smaller increases in the four years after that. CMP sought a rate hike to finance $427 million in power grid upgrades and to hire hundreds of line workers. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E Out of 140 senior living communities in Maine evaluated in the latest annual ba- rometer by U.S. News & World Report, the top five were as follows: Enclave of Scarborough, Dirigo Pines in Orono, Atria Kennebunk and Huntington Common in Kennebunk and Bay Square at Yarmouth. New town hall for Hollis Gorham-based Great Falls Construction Co. is putting the finishing touches on an 18,500-square-foot new town hall for the York County town of Hollis, located at 34 Town Farm Road. e project cost came in at $7.5 million, $2.5 million of which were grant funds, with the remainder from general funds and TIF fund accumulation. e design and site work team on the town hall project included Custom Concepts Architecture and Northeast Civil Solutions, both based in Scarborough and Bennett Engineering, based in Freeport. A middle-income, first-time buyer condo opening A trio of developers is launching a series of projects to be built over the next few years — starting with a 45-unit condo- minium complex in Westbrook. Clover Terraces is targeted to buyers who earn between 80% and 120% of the area's median income. e one- and two- bedroom condos range from 500 to 650 square feet. e apartments feature wood and tile flooring, high ceilings, large windows and in-unit laundry facilities. Prices will start at $293,294. N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N The University of Maine at Augusta held an open house at its Aviation Maintenance Technician School at Brunswick Landing to celebrate the expansion of Maine's first avia- tion maintenance technician school. The five-semester, 56-credit Federal Aviation Administration Part 147-certi- fied aviation maintenance technician program educates students to become licensed aircraft mechanics. The Portland Symphony Orchestra an- nounced the continuation and expansion of its Chamber Series, made possible by a gift from the Lunder Foundation- Peter and Paula Lunder Family. The grant increases the Lunder Maine Music Accessibility Fund, established in 2018 through an initial $500,000 gift from the foundation to support the orchestra's education programs. The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority announced that Great Falls Construction in Gorham com- pleted the installation of new passen- ger platforms at the Wells Regional Transportation Center to go along with the structural steel to support el- evator towers and elevated pedestrian bridge connecting the new platforms. MaineHealth in Portland said it re- ceived a five-year, $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to join the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. The research network addresses dispari- ties in pediatric research by including children from rural or underserved GREATER REACH. STRONGER SERVICE. DEEPER COMMITMENT. Grow your business with reliability and confidence. FidiumBusiness.com | 1.844.343.4862 67,000+ fiber route miles 250,000+ on-net / near-net buildings $1.7 Billion+ in network investments since 2020 S T A T E W I D E S O U T H E R N

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