BANGOR, Maine — The city of Bangor has decided to allocate the remainder of its pandemic relief funding to develop infrastructure that will support new housing projects.
Bangor has more than $2.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act that it must allocate by the end of the year.
“This is once-in-a-lifetime money for the city of Bangor: What do we want to do to make long-term investments in the growth of the city? And how do we best use that money to support the citizens of Bangor, who the money belongs to?” Bangor City Council Chairperson Cara Pelletier said.
Bangor has already allocated nearly $18 million in ARPA funding to address housing, homelessness, childcare, mental health, and more.
With the remaining funds, the city plans to prioritize housing projects.
“Housing is at an extreme deficit across the state, not only in our community but in every community surrounding us,” Bangor City Manager Debbie Laurie said.
The city wants to invest in sewer, water, electric, and roads to incentivize developers to create housing in Bangor.
The city is also planning to support the redevelopment of a 10-acre parcel of land on Grandview Avenue to create housing for middle-income people.
“It's about us making sure that when new housing comes on the market that it's meeting the needs of people in Bangor,” Pelletier said.
One organization that has already received ARPA funds for housing is Together Place Housing, which was allocated more than $300,000 to buy a new building to house more low-income adults with mental health challenges.
“We have a lack of housing for people who have been chronically unhoused and may need support services around that,” Amy Roeder, executive director of Maine Mental Health Connections, which works alongside Together Place said.
Roeder said she’s grateful the funds have gone towards supporting communities that need it.
“A tiny, tiny little expenditure of money can spiral outwards in wonderful ways and provide services for longer and longer periods of time,” Roeder added.
The remaining funds will be obligated at the next City Council meeting on Aug. 12.
Any organizations that have received ARPA funding must spend it by Dec. 31, 2026.