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January 7, 2001
Tenants, landlords feel effects of rental crunch Southern York County, where the supply of apartments
has remained flat, is especially hard hit. The Associated Press Copyright © 2001 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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Kennebunk native Holly Hersh returned to southern Maine after a year in Florida to find that rental prices had skyrocketed . It took Hersh, her husband, David, and their two children nearly four months to find their Biddeford apartment, one that Hersh says is poorly insulated and too small for her family. Hersh, 33, thought that they had enough money saved up for a security deposit and the first month's rent and that the search would be quick. "I figured I would find work right away," Hersh said. "But we couldn't find any place that we could afford. We were really surprised it was like this. We had no idea." Hersh's family is not alone. Landlords, affordable housing advocates and aid agencies say the crunch will continue to hurt renters, property owners and the local economy if steps aren't taken. During their search, Hersh's family stayed with four different sets of friends and spent time in a cramped pop-up trailer on her parents' front lawn. They looked at more than 25 apartments in Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach, but plenty of other people were looking at the same places, too. The search was further hampered by an imperfect credit record, although Hersh said her family has a good rental history. The family ended up on support from the Biddeford Welfare Office to get their apartment, a two-bedroom that Hersh said is overpriced at $600 a month. Dana Totman, president of York-Cumberland Housing, an affordable housing agency, said the problem is particularly bad in southern York County. "Since about the late '80s, the supply of apartments has not gone up at all," Totman said, even though more people are moving to the area. "Since about the late '80s, the supply of apartments has not gone up at all," Totman said, even though more people are moving to the area. The state's General Assistance program budget went from $21 million in 1991 to $7 million in 1998, Totman said. Michael Ralston, Sanford's interim community development director, said federal funds to construct affordable housing units have been decreasing over the past eight years. "The costs of building housing have gone up, and . . . we need that subsidy," he said. Landlords are also feeling the pinch. Arthur Plante, a Biddeford property manager and landlord, said crowded conditions lead to increased domestic disputes and higher repair costs. Other costs, such as heating oil, have also gone up. He said these factors may make landlords reluctant to participate in housing subsidy programs and more vigilant in screening potential tenants. "All it takes is one bad family, a system user, and the landlord has to be skeptical from then on," he said.
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