Affordable Housing Development in Falmouth
Falmouth Town officials met with Scittery Woods Partners (SWP) in November to close a workforce housing deal and commence the construction of 48 “attainable townhomes”. Expected to be on the market in the summer of 2026, these houses range from $378,000 and $425,000, compared to a town average of $860,000 (Zillow), and are available only to those making 120% or less of the Greater Portland Area median income for their household size. This development was made possible in part by the Maine State Housing Authority, who offered a loan of $1.5 million that will be fully forgiven upon the sale of the 20 $378,00 units. These homes are being built adjacent to the police department, on town land that had previously been unutilized. Additionally, SWP and the town assure that the building site will disrupt as little of the surrounding ecosystem as possible.
Falmouth has become one of the most expensive locales in the state to live. Financial barriers to residency have further consequences beyond social homogeny; Falmouth schools are already seeing declining enrollment that is expected to continue. When exclusivity flies too close to intangibility, business and education sectors cannot support themselves. A quarter of Falmouth residents are 65 years old or older, significantly higher than the national average, grandfathered into a stagnant real estate market and no longer working (US Census).
While the Falmouth Town Council voted unanimously in favor of this development, they do not necessarily represent the entirety of Falmouth or neighboring towns. In 2024, Cumberland voted against an extremely similar housing proposal.
The NIMBY ideal of a suburbia made of only those affluent enough to afford luxury homes is shiny enough attractive enough to many, yet historically can be seen to crumble. Currently, locales like the Hamptons and Beverly Hills that have priced out the working class through housing supply are facing significant economic crises due to a dwindling workforce. Greenlighting further affordable housing benefits both new families looking to find a home and residents by keeping the local economy on its feet. I urge Falmouth homeowners to not pull the ladder up beneath them when it comes to housing and continue to vote towards continued development in the town.
https://scitterywoodstownhomes.com/
https://www.falmouthme.org/748/Workforce-Housing
https://www.zillow.com/home-values/35607/falmouth-me/ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/falmouthtowncumberlandcountymaine/HSD410223
