An affordable housing project designed for members of the LBGTQ community over the age of 54 is reportedly being built in Portland, Maine, in the fall. The Equality Community Center (ECC), which is an LGBTQ group based in the town, announced the plan June 5 and is moving forward with the building project, which has been “years in the making,” according to a News Center Maine report published June 13.
The housing project has been met with backlash from many residents in Maine, with some wondering whether the project is a direct violation of The Fair Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation, familial status and disability.
The ECC does not explicitly state that residents must be LGBT. The group lists a requirement that “all residents abide by currently unpublished community standards, which will require them to abide by the community center’s values.” Tax credits for the project will total $945,487 and $4,840,257 in state and federal taxes, respectively, according to the Maine Wire. It will be run by the Portland Housing Authority, according to the same report. (RELATED: Pride Month Ends With LGBT Activists Losing SCOTUS Compelled Speech Case)
Chris O’Connor, the executive director of the ECC, has said that there are about 150 people from the LGBTQ community on the interest list, according to News Center Maine. The land was donated by Ed Gardner, who is a founding member of the ECC, and a prominent developer, News Center Maine reported. The building will be 5 stories high and have 54 units. Eleven of the units will be set apart for members with disabilities and who have HIV or AIDS. Construction on the project is expected to conclude by Spring 2026, making it the second LGBTQ-specific affordable housing in New England, with the first already being built in Boston.
