Genesis Fund executive director Beth McPherson will be honored by Maine Initiatives at its 2007 Watering Can Awards Dinner on May 24 at the Taste of Maine Restaurant in Woolwich.

Beth will receive the Golden Grower Philanthropy Award for her work with the Genesis Fund and Maine Funders for Change.

Maine Funders for Change began in 1994 as an effort by five nonprofit organizations - Maine Initiatives, MaineShare, Maine Women's Fund, Haymarket People's Fund, and the Genesis Community Loan Fund - to broaden the philanthropic reach of nonprofits with volunteer boards and small staffs at a time of declining federal and state support. Karin Anderson of the Maine Women's Fund and Maine Initiatives' outgoing director, Deborah Felder, both of whom were key players in the effort, will be honored along with Beth.

Congratulations to each of them!

While the Genesis Fund is best known for its nimble and creative assistance to Maine nonprofits, we occasionally become fascinated by statistical analysis of Maine's housing climate. This is one of those times.

For the first time MaineHousing has posted detailed local housing information online at www.mainehousing.org/reports.html (from there click on "Housing Facts").

Reports detail homeownership facts and rental affordablility figures for the entire state and for each county. In addition, the reports break down median home prices and median household income for municpalities in each county. Separate reports are also included for our two congressional districts and for 28 individual housing markets (and the muncipalies therein). Additional information in the rental facts reports pertains to assisted housing and household demographics.

Below is a short summary of the findings. Please use the link at the bottom of this article to find detailed information about your community.

· Between 2001 and 2006 the median home price in Maine rose 68.3% (from $118,900 to $185,000) while median income rose 17.2%. (from $40,862 to $44,488).

· In 2006, 66.6% of Maine households (370,395) were unable to afford a median priced home (i.e. enough income to cover mortgage, taxes, insurance without exceeding 28% of gross income). While the 2006 figure is down slightly from the 2005 high of 68%, it is up from the 2001 figure of 54% of households (273,260) unable to afford a median price home. That means close to 100,000 additional Maine households were priced out of a home in their community over a five-year span.

· The average rent for a two bedroom apartment rose 30.4% during the same five-year period.

· The percentage of renters paying more than 30% of their household income for rent rose from 38.3% in 2001 to 44.4% in 2006.

· The median household income for renters was $28,387 in 2006. This reflects the considerable difference of $16,000 between Maine median income and the income of those who rent.

Also of interest is the recent report from the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine, "Poverty in Maine - 2006: Statewide Patterns," available here .

Since 1992, the Genesis Fund has provided low-cost financing and expert assistance to more than 135 Maine nonprofit organizations. Groups working to improve affordable housing and local community facilites have often heard about us by word-of-mouth. While that has kept Genesis Fund staff busy over the past 15 years, it is time to share the stories about projects we've worked on in a more deliberate way.

Beginning in May, Genesis Fund Communications Director Heidi Shott (pictured above receiving her first Rotary coffee mug from Damariscotta/Newcastle Rotary Vice President Phil Congdon and Camden National Bank's Gary Stone) started giving talks to groups across the state about the Genesis Fund's work in affordable and supportive housing, community development, sustaining island communities, as well as its newest work with residents of mobile home parks.

Heidi would be pleased to talk with business groups, civic club leaders, churches, and nonprofit organizations about making a presentation tailored to your interests and region. Please contact her at 207.563.6073 or heidi@genesisfund.org to set up a visit.