We have the opportunity to address an affordable housing shortage for Maine seniors and, at the same time, create good construction jobs.

More than 6,200 talented construction workers and even more associated professionals are not using their skills to design, engineer and build homes, schools, roads and bridges because their industry was hit particularly hard when the economy took a steep nosedive in 2006.

We are beginning to see evidence that we have started to recover, and the industry has regained some jobs over the last 12 months. History teaches us that each time we invest in well-planned construction and infrastructure, we strengthen our economy by putting local talent to work. We need that as much today as we need efficient and affordable housing for the seniors we love and respect.

This month, Maine Speaker of the House Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, announced his “KeepME Home” initiative, which includes a bond proposal for the construction of affordable and efficient housing for Maine seniors in all 16 counties in the state. Eves plans to present his proposal during the next legislative session.

The new homes will provide reduced energy costs and better access to transportation, medical care, grocery stores and pharmacies, while also addressing the fact that our seniors like to be close to their families and the communities they have given so much to over the years. Doing what we can to help our seniors achieve that goal will allow them to continue to share their wisdom with us, which I believe is a quintessential element of our society.

The KeepME Home initiative will create 1,000 housing units, resulting in an additional construction investment of $80 million to $100 million, which will create or sustain at least 2,280 well-paying jobs across the entire state economy. This initiative is exciting for seniors and a big deal for the construction industry, as well as Maine people who value a good investment.

A recent project offers a great example of the overall benefit that senior housing provides to local communities. Great Falls Construction completed the construction of 25 apartment units at Stonecrest II in Standish. That project alone created or sustained 155 construction-related jobs, provided $144,571 to the state from income taxes, sales taxes and other fees, and added $18,560 to the local annual property tax base. The project also required the purchase of nearly $1.8 million in building materials. Even more important, 25 percent of the residents moved to Stonecrest II to be closer to family and services, and 64 percent of the residents were able to transition to independent living. These seniors had an average income of just $16,073.

Although we have sporadically addressed the housing needs of our seniors in the past, as Mainers who truly understand the value of family and community, we can do more to take care of our own. Maine’s population is aging rapidly and, in the next 15 years, one in four Mainers will be older than 65. Our housing stock is largely inefficient and poorly matched to meet our upcoming needs. Our housing stock is also among the oldest in the country.

Our seniors are being housed in units that are unaffordable, inaccessible, inefficient and too remote from the services and resources they need to thrive in their communities. Many of them are already on long waiting lists for affordable senior housing.

Approval of KeepME Home will offer Maine seniors homes that are secure, efficient, accessible, affordable, comfortable and warm. I encourage decision-makers to consider this critical investment as necessary and long overdue, and to take the appropriate action to ensure that our seniors have housing choices in our communities, close to services, where we can all benefit from their wisdom and presence.

Jonathan Smith is the president of Gorham-based Great Falls Construction, a construction management and general contracting company founded in 1988. He is a board member of the Associated General Contractors of Maine and active member of the AGC Maine Building Committee.