But if we don't increase supply it would get even worse, correct? And these potential luxury apartment shoppers would compete for lower end properties that would otherwise be affordable, correct?

I can sympathize with that but what does happen if you don't increase supply in a desirable place, is that prices shoot up. So if you don't support developing more housing, get ready for rents to rise, house prices to rise, small businesses struggling or shutting down due to rents and issues with worker housing, friends and family getting priced out of the community and having to move far away. I mean, you will still have the buildings themselves technically, but over time you won't have the community itself because of affordability issues. It will all be rich transplants. And, respectfully, I think it is NIMBYism. Just maybe you don't think NIMBYism is always bad, and it's your right to have that opinion.

Based on a non-existant dynamic in Maine currently: demand for housing remaining constant.

Come on do just a little research before regurgitating this same tired trope.

Maine has ever increasing demand pressure on its housing market. Anything outside of directed housing developments that specifically qualify/disqualify based on income, nothing but economic recession/depression and reverse migration are going to lower ME rents.

They would find a way to move the goalpost, I promise you.

The truth. It’s one of the reasons our cancer levels are so high.

It's all about squeezing the maximum amount of property taxes out of each new resident. Everyone loses their mind at the thought of property taxes going up, so the developments that get approved are $700,000+ units on a private road that is directly off of a state road. This isn't coincidental. Freeport at least has a decent commercial tax base that keeps the mill rate low.

that was another project that looked good on the face but would have done very little good to the people everyone thinks it was going to help - it was all 1 bedroom apartments, not really helping those families they keep talking about, and only a small percentage would have been affordable-housing (and hey, how about instead of crying for low-income housing for teachers and firefighters we...pay them more?) This was 100% going to be full of seniors from MA and NJ who want a second place near the beach.

Its cynicism, not NIMBYism

Lol, love the down votes but no responses? Bet.

I'm simply saying this isn't NIMBYism - its people who like their small communities resisting the density and all that goes with it. If I lived in a small town and liked it and saw it rather quickly turning urban I'd probably resist too.

Speak for yourself.

But still good public schools, so people with children pay big money. Freeport prices are comparable to Yarmouth and Cumberland which are similarly sized towns.

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We need density. And we need better public transportation and bike options. We need all of it.

https://www.fullstackeconomics.com/p/how-luxury-apartment-buildings-help-low-income-renters

Maine is a poor state with an aging population. They should build whatever housing they need to to attract younger residents and strengthen the state. Those buildings look fine and most of us think of Freeport as an outlet mall anyway.

Eh that's like Portland peninsula pandemic pricing. I don't think you're going to get that price in a town with the shittiest food scene in coastal Maine, no night life, and it's just a glorified mall.

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Yes, plus these projects never include any improvements to the surrounding infrastructure (roads OR public transportation) or consider what that influx of traffic will do to the community. This is not affordable housing and the developers aren't proposing this to benefit anyone but themselves.

Downtown is exactly where low income housing should be built; walking distance to stores, and if you’re going to get public transportation, that’s where it will be.

Ya right. The buildings will take away from the shoe factory town Freeport is. Maine Is nothing but an oversized mill town. You live here because you can’t afford to live in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Get real.

but this explicitly isn't affordable housing

For a lot of people it's about not wanting more density and traffic or to have their small town turn into Portland, which is itself turning into Boston. They are proposing a huge housing complex (also not affordable) in South Portland by bug light and the thought of 1200 more cars trying to get down Broadway through Millcreek give me pause...

(and sure public transportation - great idea that no one uses. Would take a massive investment in infrastructure area-wide to reduce cars on the road.)

This should be pinned

You should see what kids do during the course of a day and then touch all the shit you buy lol

Some folks don't want affordable housing in their town. They want to keep living there out of reach for most people.