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Affordable Housing Facility in Portland to Hold Grand Opening

Avesta Housing, a Portland-based nonprofit, is holding a grand opening Tuesday at its newest affordable apartment facility.

Thomas Heights on Washington Avenue has 18 efficiency units with monthly rents, including utilities, ranging from about $550 to $700 dollars. Avesta officials says that’s far less than the cost of comparable units in the city.

Avesta’s Matthew Peters says all 18 units are rented.

“Of the 18 households, 90 of them are formerly homeless and five of the formerly homeless people are veterans,” he says. “People generally make between zero, actually, and $27,000 a year.”

Peters says the new building replaces a single-family home that was on the site.

“New construction, very sustainable building envelop, low heat costs in the building and it’s right on the side of Washington Avenue that overlooks the sunset and has some great city views,” he says.

Peters says the Portland Housing Authority has provided five vouchers that will stay with the building to help pay housing costs.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.