Construction underway for ACAP’s supportive housing project

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - ACAP held a Sledgehammer Swinging event to mark the start of construction on a first of its kind Supportive Housing Facility in Aroostook County. News Source 8′s Isaac Potter has the story.

Many gathered at 1 Edgemont Drive in Presque Isle for ACAP’s Sledgehammer Swinging event. Over the past few years, ACAP has been working on establishing Aroostook County’s first supportive housing project for individuals who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. The event kicked off the start of renovations to bring new housing units, and to be the permanent home for ACAP’s Hope and Prosperity Resource Center.

Jason Parent, ACAP Executive Director/CEO, says “Today really culminated two years worth of work to the point where we are about to turn this building over to a contractor to make the necessary changes to turn this into a housing complex that will have embedded our Hope and Prosperity resource Center to help individuals gain employment, to help individuals to gain more permanent housing, and to just help them have better lives.”

The building was purchased by ACAP in 2021, and was most recently used for office space for ACAP’s administration and prevention team. The building will be converted into 13 one-bedroom and studio apartments. Parent says adding the 13 units will help in the shortage of affordable housing in the region.

Jason Parent: “In addition to providing thirteen units for individuals or for small families. What this facility is going to provide is supportive services on site. We currently house our hope and prosperity resource center here in this facility where individuals who are experiencing homelessness who come over daily from the Sister Mary O’Donnell shelter, receive daily services from meals, to help finding employment, to help more permanent housing. So not only will those individuals moving forward have those services, just a stones to throw away from the shelter, but the thirteen individuals living in this facility will be able to access those services as they become more self-sufficient in their own lives.” \

Parent mentions while this is an ACAP driven project, it is really a community collaboration.

Jason Parent: “The City of Presque Isle has been a phenomenal partner in this project with us. The County of Aroostook, Maine Housing has been there, Rodney and Mary Barton Smith Family Foundation has really come to the table to be able to ensure that all of the components of this facility come together and be able to start this construction project, because of that generosity, because of the support, and because of the collaboration of all of those partners.”

They hope to have the Supportive Housing project open in March of 2024. Isaac Potter, News Source 8.

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