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FAIRFIELD — The Kennebec Valley Council of Governments has received a $25,000 design grant from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston as part of the Working Communities Challenge program.
Thes six-month design phase grant will allow the Southern Kennebec County Team to continue the work of ensuring safe and affordable housing in the community, while building infrastructure and partnerships.
The Southern Kennebec County team represents Augusta, Gardiner, Randolph, Chelsea, Farmingdale, Hallowell, Manchester, Monmouth, Pittston, Readfield, West Gardiner, Windsor and Winthrop. Core partners are Augusta Area Affordable Housing Task Force, the United Way of Kennebec Valley, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, GrowSmart Maine, MaineHousing, Augusta Housing Authority, city of Gardiner, city of Augusta, Capital Area New Mainers Project and Kennebec Valley Community Action, among others.
The effort began after a group of community leaders recognized that the economic impact of the pandemic was steering local residents toward a housing cliff, said Courtney Yeager, of the Southern Kennebec County WCC team. “People living on the edge couldn’t pay rent, the rental relief program wasn’t robust enough and the federal eviction moratorium wouldn’t last forever,” Yeager said.
That led to cross-sector collaboration on ideas that will improve the region’s housing. “This Working Communities grant is a true gift that will enable us to make our vision a reality for central Mainers,” Yeager said.
The six-month design phase will allow the Southern Kennebec County team to learn more about the Working Communities Challenge model, continue to build on internal structures including partnerships with stakeholders and the community, and further define strategies. Eventually the goal is to be among the five projects chosen to move forward in the WCC process, and awarded with a three-year implementation grant of $375,000 from the Boston Fed.
