BRUNSWICK, Maine — For years, the former naval air station base in Brunswick has been undergoing renovations. Businesses have slowly moved in, and housing developments are continuing to pop up on once-barren streets. That includes new apartments that, for the next couple of years, will be serving asylum seekers.
On Monday, dozens of people gathered at Brunswick Landing to celebrate 60 new apartment units going up in five buildings. Twenty-four of them are already complete. These units are designed to house asylum seekers, as they wait to receive work permits. That process can often take a while, since asylum seekers can't file for a permit until at least six months after filing their initial asylum applications.
This program is happening through the Maine State Housing Authority. MaineHousing will essentially pay the rent for these asylum seekers for up to two years. After that, the units will be converted to a mix of market-rate and affordable housing, unless the state says the program needs to be extended.
"This is a very unique solution to a very exciting opportunity in our state," Dan Brennan, executive director of MaineHousing, said. "We have thousands of folks coming to Maine who want to make Maine home. We’re doing everything we can to help that situation."
A woman named Esther from Nigeria is one of the asylum seekers already living in these units. She said the shift there from living in hotels and shelters has been life-changing—and that the apartment feels like a "palace."
“In [a] hotel, there are rules and regulations," Esther said. "In a shelter too, we have so many people. We share the kitchen together. We share the restroom together."
Developers Collaborative is the group that built these apartments. Its founder Kevin Bunker said he hopes the rest of the units will be open by the end of this month or early next month.