SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Residents of South Portland got to take a peek inside a recent city development Wednesday, as the city works towards alleviating the need for affordable housing.
Thornton Heights Commons located on Main Street has housed more than 70 individuals for the past year.
Placed on the former site of St. John's Church, the building features local art and reused pieces of stained glass and marble.
"[The building] gives us two-bedroom, three bedrooms, and also one-bedroom units, that's a need we know the city has," South Portland Housing Authority Executive Director Mike Hulsey said.
The building offers 42 units ranging in price from $800 dollars to $1400 dollars a month for rent. Thirty-three units in the complex are subsidized housing.
On top of creating more housing in the area, city leaders are hopeful the spot will foster economic growth toward the Main Street area with its three commercial spaces on the ground floor.
At a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony, city leaders and stakeholders commented on the big road ahead in terms of keeping up with the demand for housing.
"The critical workforce housing in Cumberland County is a perfect example of the kind of public and private partnerships that are addressing Maine's housing shortage," Governor Janet Mills said at the event.
According to a recent study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Maine only has 49 affordable rental units per 100 low-income renter households.
The city's housing authority also has a handful of similar projects either in development or in planning stages; all aimed at creating affordable low-income or senior living.