Twenty years ago, a housing study concluded that Waterville has “significant housing issues, including pockets of slum and blight, and moderate to serious deterioration occurring in approximately 25% of its housing stock.”

Today, most of the conditions described in this report have only gotten worse, with little to no progress on the 23 proposed action steps. Our housing stock continues to age (35% built before 1939) while new construction, especially affordable housing, has all but ceased (only 5% in the past 20 years). An estimated 77 properties are currently vacant, some of them abandoned and posing public safety hazards. Others are clearly unsafe, even though they are occupied. The soaring cost of construction and home ownership has put additional pressure on the rental market, which means Waterville has a growing number of renters competing for a shrinking number of units.

No wonder homelessness is on the rise. The most recent data from Maine State Housing estimates that two-thirds of renter households in Waterville cannot afford the median two-bedroom rent, estimated at $985 a month including utilities. A quick online search shows that the rate is more like $1,300 a month. There’s been an uptick in evictions as rental properties change hands in a hot housing market. Emergency rental assistance for low-income renters is ending; another winter is coming.

The city of Waterville housing committee was established in April 2021 to address the lack of adequate housing at all income levels and in all neighborhoods. We have spent the last year considering a range of possible solutions, including new policies, funding streams, and partnerships, as well as more collaboration between private, public and nonprofit entities. There are signs of encouragement: Several large housing projects are poised to move into the construction phase, including the renovation of the Lockwood Mill, Seton Hospital, and new construction of townhouses at Manor Gardens, on College Ave. Several single family developments are also underway. These will bring an estimated 200 housing units to Waterville, including some income-based housing.

But these are long-range projects that will take years to complete. We need to encourage small scale development, too, on a faster timeline.

The vacant building ordinance now before the City Council was proposed as a means to identify and encourage rehabilitation of the high number of vacant buildings that could be providing an additional 100 units of housing. The purpose of this ordinance is to identify the owners of these buildings, and work with them to develop a plan for occupancy, rehabilitation, or demolition. It is not intended to penalize owners or developers trying to sell or renovate their properties.

Another initiative we are exploring is a city of Waterville Landbank Authority, based on legislation L.D. 1694 that was passed in the Legislature with bicameral support. A Waterville land bank would operate as a separate authority, at arms length from the city, with the power to clear titles and remediate environmental issues, which often get in the way of redevelopment. It would also bring access to new sources of non-competitive federal dollars for the creation of housing projects.

The city could seed this landbank with ARPA funds that would help to acquire properties for the purpose of affordable housing, or other community purposes, and work with developers to bring them back into productive use. We would have more tax revenue, more housing, and a more attractive and livable city.

A pilot project to help low-income homeowners make critical repairs to their properties is also underway, supported by private grant funding and city funds recommended by the ARPA committee. This project is spearheaded by Waterville Community Land Trust, and Habitat for Humanity, and could be the basis for a larger-scale project to incentivize the development of affordable housing.

We are at a pivotal moment in our development and recovery from COVID: Waterville is in the midst of a comprehensive plan revision, we are poised to reopen and revision downtown, and we have some exciting recreational and cultural projects on the horizon.

If we are serious about economic development in Waterville, we must look beyond Main Street, and ensure that we are building vibrant neighborhoods and creating a culture of pride in our residential housing too. It’s time to implement some policy solutions to problems that have been decades in the making. We need to make some historic investments in our housing stock, along with our roads, parks, and recreational amenities. We must ensure that our residents have safe, affordable housing as the cornerstone of a thriving and sustainable City.

Rebecca Green is Ward 4 city councilor for the city of Waterville.