Thursday, January 10, 2019

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