Residents of a Maine town have criticized the $13 million construction of a 60-apartment complex for asylum seekers, where they will be able to live rent-free for two years and then pay a fraction of the rent.
Brunswick residents have expressed fury over the project, which is being funded with a mix of public and private money and has been heavily criticized by Donald Trump Jr.
The apartment complex in Brunswick is one of many projects the city is launching in what critics have called a “Taj Mahal,” a red-carpet welcome for asylum seekers.
There are currently 180 apartments in the Brunswick Landing complex available for anyone to rent. A one-bedroom unit costs $1,800 per month, while a two-bedroom unit costs $2,300 per month.
The new buildings for asylum seekers will allow residents to live rent-free for up to two years while they obtain work permits.
So if they get a job that pays half the average local salary of $60,000, they’ll only have to pay a third of the rent. It boils down to a monthly cost of about $500 for a one-bedroom and $690 for a two-bedroom.
Brunswick residents, including Georger Bernier (pictured), criticize the construction of a 60-apartment complex for asylum seekers as the city battles a housing crisis.
The 60-apartment complex is being financed with a mix of public and private money through MaineHousing, the state’s housing authority.
The state’s housing authority, MaineHousing, has invested $6 million in construction of the complex, with the other half of the financing provided by a Portland-based private development company. Above, an example of the apartments available at Brunswick Landing
MaineHousing has set aside $2 million to cover rent on the properties for two years, although tenants are expected to cover 30% of their rent once they start earning half the area’s median wage.
The state has also set aside about $2 million to cover rent on the properties for two years, although tenants are expected to cover 30 percent of their rent once they start earning half the area’s median wage.
While some in the area have embraced the project (raising thousands of dollars through GoFundMe to pay for furniture for newcomers), others say it’s unfair.
The plans have outraged some residents, who voiced their opposition at a heated council meeting on February 20.
‘You have all these houses under construction. In my opinion, that’s discrimination,” said local George Bernier. ‘Am I too white? Is that what it is? Do I work too hard? What’s the discrimination factor?’
‘How can we house someone other than our Brunswick resident first?’
“There is a need to look at the needs of our current residents,” added Lisa Trombley. ‘If we don’t have a plan to take care of the residents, we shouldn’t invite them to come. No matter where they come from, we can’t afford to do that.”
The units are designed to house asylum seekers while they wait for work permits, a process that can take at least six months.
Once they earn 50 percent of the median rate, they must begin contributing 30 percent toward rent.
The average salary is $59,744 per year or $28.72 per hour in Brunswick according to data from SalaryExpert. This means tenants must earn $29,872 before they can start paying rent.
The median rent is $1,600 a month for a typical one-bedroom property, according to Zillow, meaning tenants would have to contribute $480 if the properties are rented at market rate.
After the two years are up, the apartments are proposed to become a mix of affordable and market-rate housing, unless the state deems the project should continue.
Much of the criticism of the plan comes from claims that it is moving ahead while the city is cutting its budget in other departments and while Brunswick is in the midst of a housing crisis.
The lack of affordable housing in the area is largely driven by the rising cost of construction since the pandemic.
The average home in Brunswick costs $452,329, according to Zillow, which also says home prices have skyrocketed nearly 10 percent in the past year.
Brunswick local Lisa Trombley said the city needs to take care of its residents before helping asylum seekers.
The city issued a memo stating that none of its tax dollars were being used to subsidize the units and that $70,000 in private donations had helped furnish the apartments.
“The city of Brunswick was not informed of the housing agreement until the families moved to Brunswick,” the memo states.
“Although the city of Brunswick did not initiate this project and is not paying to subsidize these units, it did coordinate a community fundraising effort to purchase furniture for the apartments.”
In an interview with Bangor Daily NewsCity Council President Abby King said the plan at a former naval air base was not originally designated for asylum seekers when it was approved by the Planning Board.
The average rent is $1,600 a month for a one-bedroom property, according to the outlet. The average salary is $59,744 per year or $28.72 per hour per SalaryExpert data.
The designation only came after the original developer sold the project to MaineHousing and real estate company Developers Collaborative, according to King.
The project was recently criticized by Donald Trump Jr. while campaigning for his father in New Hampshire.
Trump Jr. wrongly claimed that the housed asylum seekers are in the United States illegally and would not have to contribute anything to cover the costs.
Volunteers raised $70,000 to provide furniture for the apartments.
A one-bedroom house in Brunswick costs citizens about $1,600 a month in rent on average under normal circumstances.
“Up in this part of the world, and in Maine, they are giving illegal immigrants free housing, free housing worth several million dollars, while they kick veterans off the streets,” he said in a news clip shared by the conservative Maine wire. ‘I mean, what’s going on?’
Maine has a population of about 1.3 million people and has recently struggled to cope with a surge in immigrants. In Portland, city officials said they received more than 1,600 asylum seekers last year.
But for the 23 families who have already moved into the complex, the facilities are a lifesaver.
Among the beneficiaries is a woman from Nigeria called Esther, who described the accommodation as “life-changing”.
She moved into the complex after being shuttled between hotels and shelters.
“In a hotel there are rules and regulations,” Esther said. Maine News Center. ‘We also have a lot of people in a shelter. We share the kitchen together. We share the bathroom together.
MaineHousing spokesperson Scott Thistle told FOX23 that less than percent of the $1.24 billion the agency has allocated over the past two years was for housing specifically for asylum seekers.