Dear Editor:

Housing has been a big issue in Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor for a long time now. Many local families have been faced with the issue of insufficient housing. Housing cost in Lincoln County is at an average of $305,000. The income needed to afford this median housing price is $80,000 (“Housing Facts and Affordability--Maine 2020--Maine.gov”).

As many know, Boothbay Harbor is known for the number of tourists it attracts. The town gets most of its income from the summertime. As a result of this, there has been a high demand for seasonal homes.

According to the Boothbay Region Housing Trust, the median household income on the peninsula is $48,806 while Maine’s median household income is $58,924. The high seasonal demand for housing is skyrocketing summer rental prices that year-round renters cannot, or barely can, afford. This affects things such as employment and the economy in the town. Especially during the off season. 

It’s always about money. Understandably, people want to make more. But that leaves some of the families who live here year round with nowhere to go. My family and I live in an apartment that is slowly turning into an AirBnB. Eventually we are going to have to find another place to stay, but there aren’t any year round rentals. We were lucky enough to have found this place a few years ago. I believe that one of the town's best places to start is getting more involved with the Boothbay Region Housing Trust. The Boothbay region is a very small place so the community getting more involved with helping the housing trust build more affordable housing is very doable and would help families in the region. The town could even put some apartments or a small apartment complex in the area that won’t be turned into AirBnBs for the residents who live here. 

This change would help many families here to find a place to live. This would also benefit the town as more people would be here to fill in jobs year round.

Gabe Hackett

BRHS junior