Genesis Fund receives $300,000 grant to assist Maine 's year-round island communities

In April 2006 the Genesis Fund was awarded a $300,000 grant by the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI).

According to Elizabeth McPherson, Executive Director of Genesis Fund, the three-year grant will provide resources vital to the long-term development and sustainability of eight of Maine 's year-round island communities.

“Working in partnership with Genesis, each of the existing non-profit community organizations will use the funds to build and promote the development of affordable housing, improve community services and stabilize the year-round population base,” she said. “This grant is really great news for our island communities.”

The eight groups named in the grant proposal are

• Cranberry Isles Realty Trust

• Island Commons Resource Center (Chebeague)

• Isle au Haut Community Development Corporation

• Islesboro Affordable Property

• Monhegan Island Sustainable Community Association

• North Haven Sustainable Housing

• Town of Long Island

• Vinalhaven Eldercare Services

 

A targeted effort to support Maine 's island communities began in 2002 as the result of the Genesis Fund's work with groups on Islesboro, Vinalhaven and Monhegan. Skyrocketing real estate values have made year-round housing a serious issue for low- and middle-income families who make their living on Maine islands and must contend with a 20 to 30 percent higher cost of living than on the mainland. Eldercare is also a concern as island communities try to develop opportunities that will allow their aging residents to remain on the island as they require increasing care.

“The news about this grant is fantastic,” said Doug Boynton, president of the Monhegan Island Sustainable Community Association (MISCA). “Genesis has been able to connect us with resources and funding in concrete ways like this, and we are really glad to be partners with them. Most of us on the islands are so busy working that we don't have the extra time to find ways to get the funding and support we need to help the island community. That's where Genesis has really been able to deliver.”

“For years many people on Maine islands have worked hard to ensure that the place is preserved but the preservation of the community has received far less attention,” explained McPherson. “This grant, in addition to a $220,000 challenge grant from Jane's Trust in early 2005 (received in partnership with the Maine Community Foundation, the Island Institute, and the Maine Sea Coast Mission) and subsequent matching funds, will allow the efforts by the island communities to gain momentum in the next few years.”

 While each of the island groups has varying experience in addressing housing and community development needs, the RCDI funding will train island residents to maximize their ability to secure future funding for affordable housing projects and community and economic development. Examples might include a micro-loan fund to build small businesses or the development of island-wide high-speed internet access that will allow web-based businesses to grow.

The RCDI grant will allow Genesis to provide direct financial assistance to the island groups to hire staff, to purchase computer equipment and software, and to participate in Genesis-sponsored trainings and meeting. It will also allow Genesis staff to provide project-specific technical assistance as well as general training and assistance.

 

“Islesboro Affordable Property has been given a 22 acre parcel by the town and we need help to come up with creative ideas to develop housing for as many low- to middle-income families as possible,” said Joanne Whitehead, director of the 18 year-old organization. “Our current project consists of three houses on a five acre parcel but we still have nine eligible families on a waiting list. The grant awarded to the Genesis Fund is coming along at just the right time. Genesis has already been tremendously helpful to IAP and it's fantastic to have this grant and the promise of assistance coming along when the year-round island communities are really struggling to survive.”

 

An on-line discussion forum called the Maine Islands Grant Forum has been created to allow island residents and Genesis staff members to share resources and ideas about the grant funding, to publicize training events and meetings, to discuss and learn from each island's experience as they engage in the important work of sustaining year-round island communities.

< photos of Islands Challenge Fund projects