The Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force is seeking community input on housing affordability in Biddeford.
A new survey, available on the City’s new citizen engagement platform Our Biddeford, asks those who live in Biddeford or want to live in Biddeford questions about their current housing. Participants will also be asked about challenges they have faced in affording their housing in the past year. The data collected will help the Task Force assess the affordability of housing in the city.
Responses to the survey will also help the Task Force define what ‘affordable’ housing means in Biddeford. Participants are asked to report the monthly rental cost that they consider to be affordable for different-sized units, from studio apartments to four-bedroom units.
Community members can visit our.biddefordmaine.org to participate. Registration is not required to respond to the survey.
“It's critical that this survey gets distributed as widely as possible, so we're hoping citizens will share it with everyone they know,” said Councilor Doris Ortiz, Chair of the Task Force. “Whether you currently live in Biddeford, lived here in the past or are considering moving here, the Housing Task Force wants to hear more about your experiences, thoughts and needs regarding housing. We need as much input as possible as the Task Force crafts recommendations for Biddeford City Council and specific steps for addressing the housing needs in our community - now and in the future.”
Participants who would like to propose creative solutions to housing challenges in Biddeford can also post to an “ideas board” on the platform. Responses from other participants can be commented on and voted on to help show the Task Force which ideas have the most community support. Registration is required to participate in this activity.
The Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force is a short-term City body that was created to review and make recommendations on the housing issues facing the community. The data gathered by the Task Force will be used to inform a report that is set to be submitted to the City Council in preliminary form by September 15, 2022 with a final report issued by November 15, 2022.