Weyerhaeuser included a covenant in their gift that includes a requirement that the property be used for workforce housing. WMMH is also planning to include covenants in any homes that are sold that will allow the properties to appreciate in value but not more than the increases in the median income in Franklin County.

WMMH is a private not for profit organization that is exempt from property taxes. Any buildings owned by WMMH like the apartment buildings will likely be exempt from property taxation. That will help us keep our costs down and our rents affordable to working people. The single-family homes and some or all of the duplexes will pay property taxes since they will be owned by individuals and families. As of this writing in April of 2026, we are uncertain how many of the duplexes will be marketed for sale and how many will be retained by WMMH for rental.

No. Workforce housing is NOT Section 8 or low-income housing. Workforce housing targets an income bracket that is higher than that for low-income housing.

Historically, workforce housing appeals to middle-class workers like teachers, firefighters, healthcare personnel, manufacturers, bank tellers, librarians, hospitality workers, and postal workers, many of whom are raising young families and eager to contribute positively to their communities.

WMMH submitted preliminary architectural renderings to the Planning Board in April of 2026 which are attached here. These designs will likely change over the course of the next few months. WMMH is looking for your input. Please contact us with any ideas using the contact heading. We want to build an attractive neighborhood where people want to live!

Architectural Renderings 040226

Over the last several years, the cost of a home in the area has skyrocketed. Today, fewer than one out of every five homes is affordable to a worker earning the area median income of $53,000. For renters the market is virtually nonexistent, with just 4% of the area housing stock available as non-seasonal rental housing. Because of the housing crunch, there has been an outflow of families from the region, our businesses struggle to hire and retain quality staff, and many area workers commute more than 25 miles. These trends stunt the area’s vitality, generational diversity, and economic growth.

The following graph illustrates just how expensive homes have become in Kingfield. In 2014 a home sold for an average of $57.00 per square foot. In 2023 that had increased to an average of $206.00 per square foot.

We are a group of volunteers with deep roots in western Maine. Some of us are descendants of families with long histories here, while others arrived more recently for recreation, got hooked on the area, and decided to stay, opening businesses, and raising children here. Making sure housing remains affordable in western Maine is, for us, a personal quest to preserve the character of the towns we love and make sure many more generations call western Maine home.

We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining the economic and civic health of western Maine by creating permanently affordable, year-round workforce housing for individuals and families in Kingfield, Carrabassett Valley, Wyman Township, Coplin Plantation, and Stratton/ Eustis. We are based in Kingfield with board members from each of the affected towns.