FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2024

Lewiston Housing Receives $2.5 Million in Supplemental Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant

LEWISTON, Maine – Lewiston Housing, in partnership with the City of Lewiston, has been awarded a $2.5 million Supplemental Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This grant underscores the entities’ significant commitment to revitalizing Lewiston’s housing landscape and implementing the resident-led Growing Our Tree Streets Transformation Plan, a 25-year plan developed to transform Lewiston’s Tree Streets neighborhood.

Chris Kilmurry, Executive Director of Lewiston Housing, emphasized the grant’s critical role: “This HUD funding is instrumental in our ongoing initiatives to transform Lewiston’s housing options. It allows us to advance the construction and redevelopment of affordable and mixed-income housing, ensuring that we effectively meet the needs of our community.”

The supplemental grant continues to pave the way for enhancing housing quality, safety, and accessibility in the City of Lewiston. Lewiston Housing anticipates that the first wave of Wedgewood apartments, funded with Choice Implementation funds, will be ready for leasing in late autumn. Funds will provide continued support for DeWitt, the second phase of Choice Implementation development, providing residents with 104 apartment homes and commercial space across the street from Kennedy Park. Lewiston Housing expects that development to break ground in the next several months.

“Addressing Lewiston’s need for safe homes people can afford is critically important to transforming the Tree Streets neighborhood and strengthening our entire city,” said Acting City of Lewiston Administrator Brian O’Malley. “This supplemental funding directly supports the investments in housing and infrastructure that we need to grow Lewiston into the community we all know is possible.”

The completion of Wedgewood and the progression to DeWitt underscore Lewiston Housing and the City of Lewiston’s shared commitment to timely and impactful housing solutions. The grant underscores HUD’s confidence in Lewiston’s ability to create sustainable and profound community impacts – particularly as the smallest city ever to receive Choice Implementation funding. It also marks another milestone in the shared dedication to fostering environments where families thrive through improved living conditions and community services.

This strategic initiative aligns with broader federal goals to enhance urban living conditions across the United States, demonstrating a robust model for community-focused urban renewal. Lewiston’s progress serves as a model for similar small to mid-sized cities nationwide, showcasing how strategic investment in housing can catalyze overall urban transformation.

About Lewiston Housing:

Created in 1963, Lewiston Housing is the municipal housing authority for the City of Lewiston. We are an experienced developer of affordable housing and have used a variety of financing structures and funding sources to accomplish our goal of expanding access to quality housing for those in need. Currently, Lewiston Housing provides management, maintenance, and resident services for Public Housing, LIHTC, and market-rate housing and administers approximately 1400 Housing Choice vouchers.

For further information, please contact:

Chris Kilmurry
Executive Director, Lewiston Housing
207-783-1423
ckilmurry@lewistonhousing.org

Angelynne Amores
Director of Marketing and Communications, City of Lewiston
207-449-2274
aamores@lewistonmaine.gov

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