Everyone deserves a place to call home.

A word from Rebecca

Creating safe, quality, affordable homes for people in need is core to Avesta’s mission. And our work does not stop when someone moves into their new home. Through strategic partnerships and philanthropic support, we also connect Avesta residents to a variety of support services to ensure their housing stability and success.

In this edition of News + Notes, we’re sharing the inspirational stories of four households at Unity Village at Bayside, an Avesta property located in downtown Portland. These people represent the thousands of Avesta residents who thrive because they have a safe, quality, and affordable place to call home. They remind us why we do the work we do, and why it’s essential that we continue to build more affordable housing so that we can provide others with the same foundation.

Rebecca Hatfield, President & CEO

Pedro, 49, & Alice, 48

When Pedro and Alice first came to Portland, they stayed at the city’s family shelter and spent much of their free time walking around the Bayside neighborhood. “We would say to each other, ‘This is a great neighborhood. Hopefully one day, we can live here,’” Pedro said.

The couple arrived in Maine with their three children five years ago and immediately set about improving their lives. Pedro earned an Associate’s degree in automotive technology at Southern Maine Community College. Alice, who is trained as an administrative assistant, volunteered with Avesta Housing’s leasing team. Her experience encouraged them to apply for housing with Avesta, and they were eventually approved for Unity Village at Bayside.

They immediately fell in love with their new apartment. “The first thing I noticed was the kitchen,” Alice said. “When I saw the kitchen, I thought, ‘This is just what I was looking for.’”

Today, the couple works in the manufacturing department of Abbott. Their two oldest children are students at Portland High School, and the youngest attends East End Community School. They take great pride in keeping their apartment clean and tidy for a simple reason — it’s their home.

“We would absolutely recommend Avesta to someone looking for a place to live,” Pedro said. “We have been encouraging our friends to apply. We tell them, ‘You will be happy with Avesta Housing.’”

Kayla, 36

In March 2023, Kayla and her 4-year-old son became unhoused. They couched surfed for a bit before moving into her sister’s home in Waterboro. Kayla took a job at Starbuck’s in Windham – the 5 a.m. shift, the only one available – and spent most of her free time commuting, with little left for her child.

“Some days I was sleeping in my car in the Walmart parking lot in Windham so that I could get to work on time a few days a week,” she said. “My son was going to school at Head Start in Bridgton, so the other days of the week I was driving back and forth from Waterboro to Bridgton twice a day. It was really rough on both of us.”

Kayla heard about Avesta Housing through a friend who is a social worker. She applied for several properties and landed a two-bedroom home at Unity Village at Bayside.

“It felt like an angel came to visit me,” she said. “I was running out of options; we were looking at living in a shelter or out of my car. I got approved a couple of days before my son’s fifth birthday, so that was a great birthday present for him too. It was a really great day.”

Kayla recently received her certification in real estate and started working with Avesta as a leasing specialist, and her son is attending kindergarten at East End Community School. Last Christmas, they got to spend time together in their new home – just the two of them. It’s one of Kayla’s favorite memories.

“It was the first Christmas where it was just me and my son in our own space,” she said. “We were able to put up our own tree and put up the decorations ourselves. And that was really special.”

Alain, 51

When Alain was told his family had a new home with Avesta Housing, he was so excited, he couldn’t wait to move in. He called a friend and asked him to take him to Walmart so he could buy an inflatable mattress and sleep there that very night.

“I told my wife, ‘I am going to the apartment, and I am not leaving. You guys can join me at any time,’” he said.

Alain lives in a three-bedroom home at Unity Village at Bayside with his wife and five children, who range in age from 10 to 19. The oldest is a student at Southern Maine Community College, and the others are in public schools located nearby. The family came to Maine in 2019 to escape the civil war in Burundi and stayed with a host family for several months, sleeping wherever there was space — on the floor, on a couch, in chairs.

Alain has a Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Burundi, and had traveled the world as a procurement and logistics officer for the United Nations before leaving his home country. He and his wife both volunteer in the community, and Alain has a job at ProsperityME to help others achieve the same dream he once had — a place to call home.

“I tell everyone, ‘Apply for a home with Avesta,’” he said. “The staff is very helpful, communication with them is great, and if we need help or if there is an issue, they are right there. I am very thankful to Avesta for helping us.”

Mariam, 55

Mariam arrived in Maine from Djibouti with her four children with no money, no job, and nowhere to stay. She was literally starting over again from scratch.

They stayed in a Portland shelter and then a hotel before eventually renting a market-rate apartment in the city. But the rent was barely affordable for Mariam, and getting maintenance requests fulfilled in a timely manner was difficult. Then a friend told her about Avesta Housing. In July 2018, her family moved into their new home at Unity Village at Bayside.

“I was so desperate, because I had a bad landlord, my apartment was small, and I was a single mother with very low income,” she said. “But when I moved here, the rent was lower, I didn’t have to pay for heat or hot water, and my kids were able to take the bus because we live near the bus station. That helped me a lot.

“I thought, ‘Everything is going to be OK.’”

Mariam is now a receptionist at Hope Acts, a nonprofit organization that provides support to immigrants. All four of her children are in college -- two are studying medicine, one is majoring in finance, and the fourth is studying to be an electrical engineer. “I taught all of them, ‘If you don’t work hard, you will have a hard life,’” she said.

She credits Avesta Housing with helping to make it all possible.

“I have friends who are always complaining about their bad landlords,” she said. “I don’t complain, because as a resident of Avesta Housing, I don’t have a reason to.”

Avesta Housing releases 2023 Community Impact Report

2023 was a year of expanding and accelerating the development of much-needed housing for the people of Maine and New Hampshire. Through our dedication to developing, managing, and advocating for affordable homes, Avesta is helping individuals and families build better lives right now.

Housing is the single best investment every community can make to secure the future we all want and deserve. When people have a safe, affordable place to live, their chances of living healthy, fulfilling lives increase dramatically. And that results in flourishing, vibrant communities for all of us.

Click below to read Avesta Housing’s 2023 Community Impact Report and learn more.

Avesta welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors

Dr. Julia Redding

Debra Orellana-Mejia

We are proud to announce that we have appointed two new members to our Board of Directors!

Dr. Julia Redding is a board-certified physician in family medicine and geriatric medicine who has been practicing in the Portland area since 2012. She serves as a nursing home medical director for MaineHealth, provides care in assisted living facilities in southern Maine, and advocates for affordable health care as an appointed member of the Maine Prescription Drug Affordability Board. Julia is also co-owner of Goodfire Brewing Co. with her husband, and plays viola in the University of Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra.

Debra Orellana-Mejia co-owns E&D Painting LLC with her husband. She is also a Registered Nurse who has worked in the healthcare industry for many years, and has served as president of a church group, leading a group of 40 women.

Federal funding secured for new Housing First development

Avesta Housing has secured almost $1.5 million in federal funds for our proposed Site-based Housing First development in Portland! If the development is fully funded and approved, it will provide new homes with 24/7 support services for the chronically homeless on the former Oxford Street Shelter site. We are extremely grateful to our Maine representatives in Congress for helping to secure these funds. Click below to learn more about this critically needed development.

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