Last week’s column on the lack of available housing and the glut of job openings in the region prompted many ideas after being posted on Facebook, thus this follow-up.

One of the better ideas, offered by Margaret Hoffman, was to perhaps hold a housing summit, which is being/has been held on Mount Desert Island — I guess we’re not unique. But I also heard that that idea has been suggested but it’s a “pink elephant in the room, nobody wants to talk about it.” Perhaps because it is such a BIG problem, the amount of work involved could take a long time — and most of our volunteers are stretched thin as it is.

One thought that I didn’t explain last week was also brought out on a post by Kerry Townsend Kelley — “Why rent to college kids and foreigners when you can rent your place out weekly for thousands of dollars?” Several homeowners are doing that through rental companies. If there were available homes to rent for seasonal workers, the homeowner could put very stringent restrictions on the “college kids’” rental agreement to avoid damage done to their property. From Mary Howard Lewis: “I do think that someone should build dorm style buildings and house the workers ... keep the price down and have someone monitor the buildings to assure everyone is behaving.” Then there’s the other side of the coin offered by Martin Knapp, “I owned a rental property and people used drugs and destroyed the place faster than I could fix it up. The state had motivational services that defended their rights to destroy it and made it impossible for me to keep it.”

Regarding available housing, Doris Burnham mentioned that several houses, which could have been used for housing, have been taken down for other projects. Tom Nickerson brought up the late Chetley Rittall’s idea of building a community college with dorms, which could be used to house summer workers. And from Leslie Climo McAllister, “This is a problem in many places in Maine. We live in Bridgton now. It took a woman I know eight months to find a decent two-bedroom apartment.”

And the housing problem isn’t just about summer workers. Sue Burge said in her post, “Why can't one of our developers just turn one building into housing — single rooms with bathroom, kitchen facilities — for our homeless population, those that will work but have no place to lay their heads at night. This is as much a crisis as opiates.” 

Regarding the glut of jobs, Kim Parent Gates of Bath says “Boothbay is hard hit because they have so MANY seasonal jobs! I have clients that live in my area and drive to Boothbay Harbor to work.” Margaret Salt McLellan said that in Wiscasset, “no one is looking for a summer job” and that she knows of 10 openings. Marie Friant Walsh: “Same here. Openings and no one is looking. Help wanted signs all through the Damariscotta region.” One post mentioned the small population of available high school workers and Jami Oakes Farmer brought up: “Too many restrictions around youth working. I worked full time at the co-op when I was 14. All the restrictions have created generations of those who don't want to work.”

And in conclusion, Maria Hoecker said in her post, “This is a real big problem and it doesn't have to be. It's time to invest in affordable housing initiatives and livable wages for our Boothbay workforce.”

To be continued.