Funds Available to 'Live Where You Work'

I was so delighted to read in our MAR newsletter this AM that the Maine Association of REALTORS Foundation is one of the first REALTOR Foundations in the country to receive an Ira Gribin Workforce Housing Grant from the National Association of REALTORS. Grants are now available to help low- and moderate- income working families secure safe and decent housing (http://www.realtor.org/iragribingrant).

In Maine, the $50,000 will be used to fund a new Foundation program called Live Where You Work, to help families with downpayment and closing cost assistance for a home purchase that is more than 30 minutes closer to their employment. The Live Where You Work program will increase access to home ownership and decrease commuting costs for home buyers. We anticipate the program will kick-off during the summer of 2009.

In our area,(Acadia National Park) it is not uncommon for our workforce to live 'off island' and commute from the mainland. I am hopeful that some of our commuters will be able to benefit from this grant program...and be able to live and work on Mt.Desert Island.

Realtor GramEpat