LOW INCOME HOUSING IN MAINE

PENOBSCOT  COUNTY  LOW INCOME HOUSING

BANGOR MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

HANCOCK COUNTY LOW INCOME HOUSING

ELLSWORTH, MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND LOW INCOME HOUSING

KENEBEC  COUNTY  LOW  INCOME  HOUSING

WATERVILLE, MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

AUGUSTA MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

FARMINGDALE MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

RANDOLPH, MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

WALDO COUNTY LOW INCOME HOUSING

SEARSPORT MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

MAP OF MAINE COUNTIES
LOW INCOME HOUSING IN MAINE

BANGOR MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

BANGOR MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

Bangor, Maine


You will not find much here on Bangor Maine simply because of the way the city of Bangor runs its housing projects.  To put it simply, you don't chose where you will live in public housing in Bangor, the city will place you in a project of their choosing.  .
I found this out nearly twenty years ago when I was looking for a project in Bangor.  After visiting a number of projects we located the one we wanted to live at, and applied for an application.  It was your standard application with the exception that instead of having one project listed on it, it had many.  We circled the project we had found that we really liked and wrote in its name along the side of the page, and were contacted and told the city will pick the project you get to move into based on the information you supplied on your application.  We were asked if we were still interested in an apartment and I told the lady, no thanks, no one tells me were I am going to live.
Hopefully the city has changed the way they do things, but that was my experience with applying for housing in Bangor, Maine.

• Phone: (207) 942-6365
• Fax: (207) 942-6043
• Voice/TTY: 711

FARMINGDALE MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

TIMBERWOOD APARTMENTS

Kennebec County,
Farmingdale Maine
Hasson Street

I checked these apartments out many years ago and they are really nice apartments, as you can see from the photos.  This is in a nice country setting and the photos really do say it all, this project is well kept up.  The town of Farmingdale, Maine is located between the town of Hallowell, Maine and the city of Gardiner, Maine.
The site says there are 24 apartments here, and clearly the project appears to be located at a dead end by the woods.

24 Units - 6 one bedroom, 18 two bedroom
17 apartments have rental assistance available
Kennebec County Income Limits Apply
Utility Allowance Provided
On-Site Parking
24 Hour Emergency Maintenance
Laundry Facilities On-Site
rent based on 30% of ajusted income
pets afre allowed

This property has received funding in part through the Section 515 Rural Rental Housing (Section 515) program. Very low, low, and moderate income families, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities are eligible to live at this property. Persons or Families living in substandard housing have priority for tenancy.

Figuring out income and rent limits for affordable housing can be complex when more than one federal program is involved. To know for sure if you qualify, you must contact the property directly. The amounts provided here should only be used as a basic guide.

 C&C Realty Management, LLC, 526 Western Avenue, P O Box 2506, Augusta, Maine 04338-2506
Phone: 207.621.7700  |  Toll Free: 1.866.621.7705  |  TTY Relay: 711  |  info@ccrealtymanagement.com


TIMBERWOOD APARTMENTS WEBSITE

AUGUSTA MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

ORCHARD HILL APARTMENTS

Augusta, Maine


Orchard Hill Apartments is located on a hill overlooking a nearby shopping center in Augusta, Maine.  A large grocery store is located in the mall, as well as a Burger King, a children's toy and book store, a car repair business and other shops.  A road leads up the hill to the project and there is an American Legion building with a tank in front of it as you turn onto the road to the project.
The project is a fairly nice looking project and I have been told there is a decent amount of storage space with each unit.

Orchard Hill Apartments, Augusta, Maine

The project has two, three, and four bedroom apartments, and as far as I know this is the only project offering four bedroom units - but the waiting list is much longer for those apartments.  The waiting list is somewhat shorter for a three bedroom.  The project sets on a hillside surrounded by woods so it has a nice country feel, and there is a large playground there for the little ones.
Each apartment has washer and dryer hookups if you chose to supply your own washer and dryer, and the project has a common Laundry room with coin operated machines.
An elementary school is also not far from the project as well as the Augusta Airport which sets on another hill across from the project.  The two major roads closest to the project are Capital Street, which runs past the entrance to the project, and Western Ave. which runs past the shopping center.  I have heard that the public transportation buses run by the project, I am not sure if they actually enter the project.  The Augusta public buses run throughout the day and evening covering pretty much of the city.
Just down from the project at the far end of Capital Street, a fairly easy walk, is the Blaine House where the governor stays, the Capital building, State Offices, the Maine State Museum, the Maine State Library and the Maine State Archives with its free research rooms for looking up family history.  The large Capital Park is also across from the Capital building, as is the Augusta Police Station.
The project has a total of 36 apartment units, with parking lots offering plenty of parking space.  I do not know the layout of the apartments or if they have wall to wall carpets.  How the units are heated is something you may want to inquire about, many projects in Maine have begun to switch from electric heat to heat pumps, which heat the apartments in winter time and act as an air conditioner in summer time.  These units cut the cost of heating an apartment in half.

An online site lists the apartments starting at $880.00, but keep in mind this is a low income project and for most people moving here, rent will be based on $30 of your income.  This project offers Section 8 assistance to families who need it.


Orchard Hill Apartments is a townhouse style apartment complex located in Augusta, Maine. Occupancy is open to all families. Subsidy is provided through the Project-Based Section 8 Program and rents are based upon 30% of the household adjusted gross income. Professional 24hr On Call Maintenance. In Unit Washer/Dryer Hookups.

Contact Information:
Orchard Hill Apartments
25 Ridge Road
Augusta, ME - 04330


managed by: Weston Associates Management Company, Inc.
contact phone number: (617) 266-0044

WESTMAN VILLAGE APARTMENTS

Littlefield Street
Augusta, Maine

This project is listed as low income and is located on Littlefield Street, a dead end street built for the housing project.  It lists 30 apartments, with 21 of them being section 8 apartments.  From the project you are about a twenty minute walk from the State House, the Maine State Library and the Maine genealogy archives room, about a 30 minute walk to K Mart, Wendy's, the post office and dunkin donuts.  The project is surrounded by tree's and has a county feel for being located in the city.  The Hallowell town line is not far from the project and it is about a 20 minute walk to downtown Hallowell  - a town best known for its old book shops and antique shops.

Westman Village Apartments, Augusta, Maine

Years ago buses did not service the project, I don't know if that has changed.  Units are two bedrooms and they do limit the number of people living in each unit to four.  Living rooms are large, as is the Kitchens.  Front door opens into the living room, rear door is located in the kitchen.  Each apartment has a large storage shed behind the apartment, you have to place your own lock on it.  Lawns are mowed by the housing and parking lots and walkways are done by the housing.  Repairs, when needed, are done fairly quickly.  One thing you might find useful, these units are upstairs and downstairs, with two bedrooms and a large bathroom being on the second floor, no ground floor bathrooms.  Kitchen is large enough for a table and chairs.  The housing also has outside cloths lines in place, each set of cloths lines is shared by two units.
There is an on site coin operated laundry room located near the center of the project, and a large playground for children.  Years ago they had talked about placing a high fence around the project, I don't know if that was ever done.  Apartments were electric heat, you need to look into that because the last time we drove by the project they had large LP gas tanks next to the apartments which were not there when we lived there.  Walls are pretty well insulated so you don't notice hardly any sounds from the apartment next to you.

managed by: Barkan Management Company Inc
 Address: 3 Littlefield St, Augusta, Maine 04330
  http://section-8-housing.credio.com/l/4028/Westman-Village
 Call (617) 482-5500 for more information.

GLENRIDGE GARDENS  APARTMENTS

Augusta, Maine

(888) 311-9296

 The staff that run the project have always been top notch and any repairs that need to be done are addressed usually within a day or less.  When we lived there people were encouraged to plant flower gardens in front and behind their apartments.
The children's bedrooms are pretty good size, and the adult master bedroom is very large with a large closet.  Windows overlook the parking lot, while kids bedrooms overlook the back lawns and playgrounds.

They have a large number of two bedrooms apartments.  Than there are the three bedroom apartments, when we moved in we were told they had two types of three bedroom units, one had one bathroom upstairs, and the second type was a little larger and had a bathroom upstairs and downstairs.
They accept section 8 vouchers and rent is based on 30 percent of your income if you qualify.  Heat is also included in the price of the rent, but not the lights.  Besides the large closets in the bedrooms, the downstairs hallway has a large closet with two large sliding doors where you can store stuff like bikes, toys or whatever  during the winter months.

The project is about a twenty minute walk from one of the city's boat landings that also has a nice playground for kids, and a path leads through the woods to fort Western and nearby Water Street.  And on Sundays a number of churches in the city have buses that pick people up in the project and drop them back off,  which is really nice if your handicap or elderly, or don't have a car.  A Rite Aid store is at the entrance to the project and a large shop and save food store is within walking distance.
One street over is the City's ball fields with soccer, baseball and softball fields as well as a horse shoe pit.  Bordering the ball fields is the Viles Arboretum  with over 6 miles of marked hiking trails, fields and ponds.

You are not far from the stores or fast food places if you have a car, or take a cab.  K Mart is about an hour's walk away, and McDonald's is about a thirty minute  walk away.  There are also several churches 15 to 20 minutes walk away.  The closest store is the Rite aid store as you enter the project.
This project is open to all, elderly, handicap, and families and I highly recommend it.

Glenridge Gardens

82 Glenridge Drive
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: (888) 311-9296

Office Hours:
Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sat: By Appointment
Sun: Closed

ARCH  BETA  APARTMENTS

Subsidized housing for the Elderly and disabled.
One and two bedroom units in a private area.

Includes 100 one bedroom units.

21 Gray Birch Drive, Suite 1
Augusta, ME 04330

Arch Beta is a HUD Apartment. HUD residents usually pay 30% of their gross income for rent. The rent amount, less approved HUD deductions such as medical and child care expenses, and other allowances, includes a utility allowance. HUD Residents also may choose to pay what is known as flat rent. The HACC works with applicants to determine which rent arrangement is best for them. Arch Beta is a senior low income housing apartment subsidized by the federal governments HUD (Housing and Urban Development Division). Contact Arch Beta for complete details on the current vacancies and housing applications.

(207) 622-4908 / TTY: Relay 711

ARCH BETA Apartment's
Augusta, Maine

ARCH BETA APARTMENTS
Augusta, Maine

ARCH BETA APARTMENTS
Augusta, Maine

(207) 622-4908 / TTY: Relay 711

SEARSPORT MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

PINE GROVE APARTMENTS

Waldo County
Searsport, Maine
18 Union Street

Pine Grove Apartments is located in Searsport, Maine and offers 192 apartments.  This is a fairly large housing project but the apartments do appear to be well spaced and the grounds appear to be well kept.  The town of Searsport is a coastal town rich in fishing history and its town pier draws fishermen from near and far.  The town has a pizza shop as well as a good size food mart and an antique mall.  A number of fast food places are available just up the road in nearby Belfast which also has malls and a very large shop and save food store.  Moose Head State Park is also located in Belfast.
This property has received funding in part through the Section 515 Rural Rental Housing (Section 515) program. Very low, low, and moderate income families, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities are eligible to live at this property. Persons or Families living in substandard housing have priority for tenancy.
39 apartments here rent is based on 30% of your ajusted income.  There are 22 one bedroom apartments, and 20 two bedroom apartments as well as 2 three bedroom units.
Electricity, heat and hot water are the resident’s responsibility. Please note the average cost of electricity is taken into consideration when determining the rental amount. Now utilizing energy efficient HEAT PUMPS.  I myself went from Electric heat to a heat pump and my heat bill was cut in half.  Heat pumps provide heat in winter and air conditioner or fan in summer months and many housing projects across the state are installing these heat pumps.

Maine Development Associates
PO BOX 2219
Bangor, ME 04401

207-947-6795/ 1-800-639-1747
TDD 711 or 1-800-437-1220

PINE GROVE APARTMENTS WEBSITE

Mariner Woods Apartments

Searsport, Maine

Mariner Woods is located in Searsport Maine, and offers 24 apartments of which eight are one bedroom apartments and 16 are two bedroom apartments.  Each apartment has its own private entrance and all apartments are subsidized, which usually means rent is based on 30% of your ajusted income.  Smoking is not allowed in the units but there is a smoking area outside on site.  They state that apartments are two story units, but it does appear from the photos that the one bedroom units may be one level apartments.
Searsport is a nice quiet town located along the Maine coast rich in fishing history and located just down the road from the city of Belfast, Maine.
A few stores in town include the Grasshopper Shop, Toziers Market which sells food items, and an antique mall.  A popular spot over the years with fishermen is the town's pier which attracts fishermen from near and far.  There is a very large shop and save food store just up the road in Belfast as well as a number of fast food places and Moose Head State Park. .  Searsport also has a pizza place.

From the photos above you can see the air or heat pump units on the back side of the apartments which means these units will be a lot less expensive to heat than electric heat.  If you do not know, air pumps serve multiple purposes, in winter they provide heat, in summer they become an air conditioner or fan.

Maine Development Associates
PO BOX 2219
Bangor, ME 04401

207-947-6795/ 1-800-639-1747
TDD 711 or 1-800-437-1220

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND LOW INCOME HOUSING

EDEN APARTMENTS

Woodbury Road
Bar Harbor


Eden Apartments is located in a country setting on the Woodbury Road in Bar Harbor, Maine - yet only a 15 minute walk from the center of town.  The housing project is made up of 6 duplexes, five of which are two bedroom apartments.  The sixth duplex is two story and each side has three bedrooms.  The waiting list for the three bedroom apartments are quite long..
Each apartment has a front and rear lawn which is mowed by the housing authority, as well as a fenced in rear play area for small kids, and each unit has its own long driveway.  There is a garbage dumpster on site by the housing authority  garage, with no fee for deposing garbage.
In recent years the entire kitchen's was torn out and rebuilt with brand new cupboards as well as brand new electric stoves and refrigerators.

Woodbury Road, Eden Apartments - driveways along left side of roadway

HEAT;
Units can be heated by two separate means, there is the baseboard electric heat, which some residents prefer, but can get expensive.  Each unit also has recently been fitted with air exchangers which heat each unit at half the cost of electric heat, and also serve as air conditioning in summer months.
PARKING;
Each unit has its own long driveway.  Driveways are plowed as needed by the housing authority, you do need to shovel your walkway.
MAIL:
Each apartment has its own mailbox, and mail delivery is anywhere from 2pm to 3;30 pm six days a week.
PLAYGROUND;
Yes, located at about the center of the project and easy to access.
SMOKING;
Smoking is not allowed in any of the apartments not on the outside grounds.
FLOWER GARDENS;
You can plant a small flower garden along the side of the apartment.
STORAGE AREA;
Each apartment has its own outside fenced in area, and each unit also has a large storage room inside each apartment.
WASHER/DRYER;
Each apartment comes with a coin operated heavy load washer and dryer.  It costs 75 cents to wash and 75 cents to dry, but it actually takes two sets of quarters to get the clothing completely dry, so drying is actually $1.50 - the housing authority comes in about every three months to collect quarters from the machines.
LAWN SPACE;
Each apartment has its own front and rear lawns, mowed by the housing authority.
CARPETS;
yes and no.  Recently the housing authority has begun tearing out carpets as people move out and replacing them with hardwood flooring.  So you may get wall to wall carpets, or hardwood flooring.
CLOSETS;
Each bedroom has a large closet, with the Master Bedroom having a large walk in closet.
TWO BEDROOM FLOOR LAYOUT;
Front door opens up into the living room.  Straight ahead is the door to the large storage room.  The living room area is large, and next to the storage area to the left is the kitchen, which is not a full room, in other words, you won't be setting up a table in it.  There is an opening in the wall in which to serve food through into the dinning room on the other side. So you enter the kitchen from the living room, halfway through there is a large cut out in the wall to serve food through, and you can finish walking through the kitchen, turn the corner and enter the dining room.  Or you can enter the dining room from a doorway in the living room - this is important because what many do who are in need of three bedrooms is to turn that large dining room into a third bedroom and serve their meals in the living room.
At the far end of the kitchen are the washer and dryer.
To the right of the front door is a large storage closet, than a short hallway to the bathroom.  Just past the bathroom is the two doorways to the two bedrooms, with the master bedroom on the right, and the kids bedroom on the left.  The master bedroom also has a doorway leading out into the fenced in area in the rear of the apartment.
Floor layout for three bedroom apartments;  As you enter the front door, you have a large coat closet on the right, folding doors straight ahead to the washer and dryer, and the dining area to the left.  Some use the dining area as a living room area, and some turn it into a forth bedroom.  From the dining area there is a hallway leading past a stairway, past the door to a large storage area, and into the living room area.  You can also enter the kitchen from the living room, as well as from the dining room.  The kitchen is large but not large enough for table or chairs.
A door in the living room leads out into the fenced in play area.
Up the staircase and you have a kids room straight ahead as well as one to the right.  A short hallway has a doorway to the bathroom with the master bedroom at the end of the hallway.  there is also a nice closet with shelves in the hallway as well.
the master bedroom has a large walk in closet.
In all units, only the Master bedroom has a lock, children's rooms have no locking doors.

REPAIRS
Minor repairs get placed on a waiting list and can take some time before they get to them.  Major repairs, such as your stove no longer works or you have a leaking pipe, get fast tracked and quickly -

PETS
pets are now allowed, but there is a sliding scale depending what the pet is or the size of the pet.  They have a yearly added deposit for pets, as well as a monthly or yearly record keeping fee per pet.  the only free pet you can have is a goldfish or other tiny fish, in a glass bowl, that does not have a pump or filter.

PROJECT SETTING;
Located in a country setting only minutes from downtown stores, the roadway is lined with tree's.  This is a small project where each duplex is well spaced from the next.  And despite a number of young kids living in it, this is a fairly quite project.
At one end of the Woodbury Road is Parsons Lobster Pond, which is located next door to the Kebo Valley Golf Course.  The free Island Explorer buses also pass by the end of the road and you can get off one or wave one down from there.
On the other end of the Woodbury Road is West Street Extention, go right and it leads down the hill to West Street and Cottage Street and the food store just around the corner.  Go left and you are about a five minute walk from one of the entrances into Acadia National Park.

A few basic questions answered on Bar Harbor;
YMCA - yes, Park Street
YWCA - yes, Mount Desert Street
ballfields - yes, across from YMCA
skate park - yes, across from YMCA
main food store - Hannaford's on Cottage Street
Gas stations - three, 2 on cottage, 1 on Main street
Library - yes, Jesup Memorial Library on Mount Desert Street;  has a children's room as well as a computer room with free wifi and computer access.
movie houses - yes, 2
Parks - yes, several
Post Office - yes, Cottage Street
Subway - yes
cabs - yes - from the project or  in town fare is $5
public transportation - yes.  Downeast Transportation operates a bus from Hannafords to the city of Ellsworth as well as the city of Bangor, Maine.  $5 to Ellsworth and $9 to Bangor, fare includes round trip.
There is also the free Island Explorer buses which take people to villages all across the island as well as places inside Acadia National Park for free.
COLLEGE - yes, the College of the Atlantic located a short ways away on Eden Street.
Elementary school - yes, a short ways from the project.  A school bus picks students up in the project.
HIGH SCHOOL - yes, but not within walking distance.  Buses pick up students and transport them to MDI high School.
HOSPITAL - yes, Mount Desert Island Hospital, which is not far from the center of town.
CHILDREN'S PUBLIC WADING POOL - yes
PUBLIC PLAYGROUND - yes, next to the YMCA
CONVENIENCE STORES - yes, 2  Both located on Cottage street.  Big Apple and the circle K - Mainway store, which is open 24 hours a day.
IN TOWN LAUNDRY MAT - yes

Left, washer/dryer, coat closet, front doorway

 - Eden Apartments, Bar Harbor Maine

RENT;
Rent is set up two ways, and which method you chose is up to you.  There is the basic flat rent, where you pay around $980.00 per month (you need to check this out, I know its $900.00 plus, it may be less or more than $980.00) and your income has no ceiling of how much you can earn, and than there's the rent based on   30% of your income.  So someone with a good paying job, you would want to chose the flat rate.  Some one with less income would want to select the  rent based on  30%.

DESPOSIT
I believe they like to have the deposit paid for up front, but they will allow you to make smaller monthly payments if you don't have the money and ask to make payments on it.

COMMUNITY SERVICE
It is required by law, so if you not disabled, you will have to work at least 20 hours per month, or do 8 hours of community service per month.  Most do their community service by doing nursing home visits, helping out at a local church, or volunteering at the local library or hospital.  Even helping out at the YMCA would count.

 Bar Harbor Housing authority

80 Mount Desert Street 
Bar Harbor, Hancock County, Maine 
(207) 288-4770

MAPLE LANE APARTMENTS

MAPLE LANE
NORTHEAST HARBOR, MAINE
phone;    207-288-4770

An Elderly and handicap housing project.
Rent based on 30% of income.

18 apartments
all 18 are one bedroom apartments
housing takes care of clearing snow
on site trash dumpster
on site laundry room
rent includes heat
site has a community room and lounge with tv
within walking distance to stores
each unit has two large closets
house cleaning available for a fee
rides available for chores for a fee
Noon time meals are served on site for a fee. (optional)

Note;  From Mid June through mid October the free Island Explorer buses serve the town of Northeast Harbor with two bus stops, you can ride the free buses to reach Southwest Harbor or Bar Harbor or other locations across the island.

MAPLE LANE APARTMENTS - NORTHEAST HARBOR, MAINE

Currently the village of Northeast Harbor has antique shops, art shops, a few dining places, a pizza place, a mid-size grocery store, a couple mom and pop stores, churches, schools, and a large modern library.  The neighborhood House is also near by where many community events take place.  The ballfields and harbor are also within walking distance, in the summertime the harbor fills with many vessels of various sizes and there are a number of benches placed along walkways overlooking the harbor.  The Sea Coast Missions ship, the Sun Beam also anchors here in the harbor.  Northeast Harbor also has a golf course as well as a yacht club.
Closest major town is Bar Harbor Maine with a good size shop and save food store, two movie houses, a Rite Aid Store, a golf course, many places to eat, and many shops.  MDI Hospital is also located in Bar Harbor.  In Summer and early fall free buses run between Bar Harbor and Northeast Harbor throughout the day and evenings seven days a week.

MAPLE LANE APARTMENTS - NORTHEAST HARBOR, MAINE

NORTHEAST HARBOR, MAINE

NORTHEAST HARBOR MAINE YACHT CLUB

FREE ISLAND EXPLORER BUS
Over 30 free buses service Mount Desert Island

BEECH CLIFF APARTMENTS

Hanccock County
Southwest Harbor, Maine

This is a nice project located on a dead end road right in downtown Southwest Harbor, Maine.  The street the project is located on is forest Ave. and the shops and stores are all within a walk away.  Just down the road along Main Street is a small mall, the Fire Department, police station and the very popular Southwest Harbor Library.  Main street also has an ice cream stand, a hardware store, a mom and pop grocery store, a bike rental place and other shops.
The town is also serviced by the free island explorer buses which take passengers to places throughout the island for free, including to the village of Bar Harbor.
The project includes three one bedroom apartments and 18 two bedroom apartments.  This is listed as a family project.

Contact Phone: (207) 288-4770

Online application

BIRCHWOOD APARTMENTS 

Birchwood Lane
Bass Harbor, Maine


Birchwood Apartments is a housing project located in the village of Bass Harbor, Maine.  Bass Harbor is located along route 102 A and is one of the villages that make up Tremont, Maine.  The grounds of the project are well kept up, with the entrance to the project being located directly across from the Bass Harbor Post Office.  Mail, at least for the family units is delivered to post office boxes which you have to rent at the Post Office for a small fee.
All washer and dryers are coin operated and housing comes by about every other month to collect coins.  Machines are located in the large Laundry room, and each family unit has its own coin operated machines.

map of Birchwood Apartments, Bass Harbor Maine

Parking lots are plowed  by the housing authority and rent includes heat.  Apartments have wall to wall carpets with large closets.  The living rooms in each unit have large picture windows, but none of the family units have back doors, though the large windows do swing open if you need to get out through the back.

Birchwood Apartments, Bass Harbor Maine - building A on map

There is a store about a twenty minute walk up the road that sells food items, pizza, gas, subs, and such, and about a 30 minute walk up the road is Gott's, another store that sells gas, pizza, subs,  food items and such.

Birchwood Apartments, Bass Harbor Maine  - building B on map

A much larger Surefine food mart is located in nearby Southwest Harbor and a Shop and Save supermarket is located in Bar Harbor.
Taxi service is available and if you don't have a car the housing does provide a service to get you to the food stores or other appointments for something like $25 per hour.

Birchwood Apartments, Tremont Maine  rear view of building B

The Bass Harbor campground is just up the road along route 102 A, and the Bass Harbor Lighthouse is also nearby, as is the Ship Harbor Nature Trail and Wonderland in Acadia National Park.  Wonderland is an old fire road leading to a beach.

Birchwood Apartments - Bass Harbor Maine - buildings C and D on map

The Seawall picnic area as well as the Seawall Campground in Acadia National Park is a short drive away as well.  The Bass Harbor Lighthouse is just beyond the bass Harbor Campground at the end of the Lighthouse Road.

Birchwood Apartments, Tremont, Bass Harbor Maine - front view building F on map

BIRCHWOOD APARTMENTS FLOOR PLAN - Bass Harbor, Maine

So above you will see the floor plan for a family unit apartment, it is worth pointing out that this is a three bedroom unit and this project only has two three bedroom apartments, so the floor plans of a two bedroom unit will differ some.  The kitchen is not large enough for a table and chairs, which is why the living rooms are so large.  The living rooms for all apartments have really large picture windows with a section of window at each end that cranks in and out, the windows crank easily and lock nicely.  Yes, you see correctly, there is one way into each apartment, and this is true for all apartments here, both family and elderly.  Washer and Dryer coin machines are tucked into a closet as you enter the hallway.  Areas not marked are closets.  If I recall correctly the only room with crank windows is in the living room, all other windows push up and down with screens. This is the floor plan for the apartment in the photo above the floor plan,  at each end is a three bedroom apartment. By the way, this is apartment number 1, and parking is directly across from the front door.


The ocean is a short walk away as is the Swans Island ferry.  About a five minute walk away is the Bass Harbor Baptist Church.  This is a very quiet housing project surrounded by woods and rent is based on 30 percent of your income, which isn't too bad considering it includes heat.  Library's include the Bernard Library, recently expanded and offering computer access and wifi, just down the road in Bernard, and the Southwest Harbor Library, with a computer room and wifi.

Birchwood Apartments - Bass Harbor Maine - rear view building F on map

About the only drawback to living here is if you don't have a car.  Families do live here without a car and rely on one another to get errands done.  From late June to mid October transportation is not a problem as the free Island Explorer buses pass by the project about every half hour.  They will take you into southwest Harbor and Bar Harbor for free and run late into the evening.

Bass Harbor Post Office, Tremont Maine

The island also has a volunteer rider program set up for those who are elderly or handicap - you call their office and they set you up with a free ride to an appointment or shopping trip.  The program is called Island Connections.

Birchwood Apartments, Bass Harbor Maine - building F on map as seen from building B.

There is a  school nearby as well as an ice cream stand and a couple places to eat out at.
This is called the quiet side of the island for a reason and this is a very quiet project, we lived there for three years.  Winters are long and the local libraries see a lot of traffic with planned events going on throughout the winter months.  This by far was one of the better projects I've lived in over the years.

Map of Bass Harbor Maine

CONTACT;    
Tremont Housing Authority
(managed by Mount Desert Housing authority)
207-288-4770

RANDOLPH, MAINE LOW INCOME HOUSING

WINDSOR HEIGHTS 1 & 2
Randolph, Maine
(207) 582-1888

I have to say from the start I have never met any nicer land lord's than the people who oversee this project.  You will never have a better landlord, period.  The project is broken up into two or three sections, each section does a loop along paved walkways.  The walls are heavily insulated so unless someone is killing someone next door, you don't even notice someone is living on the other side of the wall.  Apartments are wall to wall except for bathrooms and kitchen, which are tiled.  Any repairs that you need done are addressed usually within 24 hours or less.  I believe heat is included in the rent.  Closets are large and there is a nice closet in the hallway, as well as a coat closet by the front door and another closet between the living room and kitchen.
Each apartment is also assigned one storage bin - storage bins are located in one of the basements, and they are really large and can hold a number of bikes, car tires and much more.  You need to place your own lock on your storage bin.

Windsor Heights 1 apartments, Randolph, Maine

Of all the places I've lived, I think this project has more window space than any other.  One entire wall in the kitchen is heavy thick glass sliding doors which lead out behind the apartment.  Large glass windows cover another wall in the kitchen, right into the living room.  We usually kept the windows curtains opened during the day to give the apartment a nice airy feel, closing them at night.  There is enough room in the kitchen for a large dining table and chairs with plenty of space to work in the kitchen.
Mail does not come directly to your apartment, instead it is delivered to locked boxes in the nearby community room.  What's the community room?  Its a large room with a large fireplace and chairs where people can sat around and relax, get to meet others in the project, and people have held meetings and events in the community room as well.  The mail boxes are along one wall in the community room.  A doorway leads into a large laundry room with coin washer and dryers.
When we lived there for three years there was a common practice some toom part in where food items or even a box or bag full of food were placed on the community table with a note - free if you can use it.  It was clear a number of people living there did this and it really helped those who were having a hard time making ends meet - all housing projects should do this as a neighbor helping neighbor thing.

Above is a floor plan for a two bedroom end apartment.  Nearly one wall in the kitchen is huge sliding glass doors which are very nice and come with a set of large drapes.

The project is surrounded by woods and has a nice country feel to it because it is located in the country.  In fact, if anything, that is the only drawback to living there.  I do a lot of walking, so the twenty minute walk down the hill to the super market was never a problem, not even in winter, but for some that can be a long walk one way, coming back is uphill so takes even longer.  I usually skipped the Randolph food market and headed across the bridge into Gardiner where they had a much larger food store, a large library, and many ships.  That was about a forty minute walk one way.  and when we lived there no buses serviced the project, you needed to drive, walk or take a cab into Gardiner to catch the bus to Augusta.  For me this was too far into the country and too far from where I live now, by the ocean.  But if you have a car, and enjoy a country setting than you won't find a better location.

Their office;

C B Mattson
Windsor Heights 1 & 2
224 Maine Ave,
Farmingdale, ME 04344

(207) 582-1888