social housing – Kate Sykes for District Five

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Thursday, October 30, 2025

Reflections on the District 5 Community Meeting

Last night, I had the honor of hosting residents of District 5 for a community meeting at Casco Bay High School. We were joined by City Councilors Ben Grant (At-Large), Pious Ali (At-Large), Mayor Mark Dion, State Senator Jill Duson, State Representative Sam Zager, Superintendent Ryan Scallon, City Manager Danielle West and more than City Staff representing many different departments. This annual event offers residents the opportunity to raise concerns, ask questions, and hear directly from the elected and appointed officials working on their behalf. For me, it was a chance to listen, learn, and take the pulse of our community.

Below are a few of the major themes that emerged and some reflections I want to share as your District 5 Councilor.

Emergency Shelter at 166 Riverside: The Right Service, the Wrong Fit

The most urgent concern raised by Riverton residents involved the city’s plan to open 166 Riverside as an emergency warming shelter this winter. Many neighbors voiced fears about increased crime, public drug use, and the disruption of neighborhood safety and cohesion.

I understand these concerns and expressed similar ones myself, especially around the location of the shelter, which is far from where unhoused individuals are currently living, and not set up for this kind of use.

Meeting the needs of unhoused individuals trying to survive on our streets is not just a Portland issue. It is a county issue, a state issue, and a federal issue. I have and continue to encourage constituents to contact our Cumberland County Commissioners, the County Sheriff’s office, and State lawmakers across Maine to demand action. No single level of government can shoulder this crisis alone; but every level must be part of the solution.

It is long past time for a political reckoning on this issue. Taxpayers deserve more than the rhetoric we hear from both political Parties. Democrats must recommit to long-term fiscal responsibility, and prove to the public that strategic, preventative investments reduce the need for high-cost emergency interventions. And Republicans must recognize that simply cutting services in the name of budget discipline does not save money in the long run. It simply shifts the burden, pushing people into jails, emergency rooms, and shelters that were never built to serve as housing, healthcare, or recovery programs.

A functional society invests in its people. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is the smart thing to do.

Development in Riverton: Growing with Intention

We also discussed Belfort Landing, an approved 50-unit housing development near Talbot School. This is a market rate development that complies with the Green New Deal’s environmental and inclusionary zoning requirements that 25% of units be affordable to people making 80% or less of the Area Median Income. This is precisely the type of infill development we need in District 5. It is located along a public transportation corridor, walkable to schools and amenities, and designed to accommodate Portland families, the teachers, essential workers, and young parents that will help our city thrive.

Some neighbors have expressed concerns about density, traffic, and safety for children walking to school. Those concerns are valid, and they have been heard and responded to by both the Planning Department and Planning Board. The project is proceeding because it meets our zoning and development standards, which were themselves developed through a rigorous democratic process.

Good community decisions happen when we set fair and inclusive rules, elect representatives to make decisions in the common good, and then hold them accountable to those decisions. That is what the city’s zoning reform efforts (ReCode), the Comprehensive Plan, and State level policies like LD 2003 have accomplished, and we must abide by those rules.

I support this development, and I also support the efforts of the neighborhood to organize a Friends of Riverton group to help guide future development in a community centered direction. Those efforts will be most successful when they align with our broader, democratically decided goals for housing, equity, and sustainability and add value to that by partnering with local developers and business owners to bring more people and amenities to the area. We need more housing in District 5, not less. And we need it to reflect the investments that taxpayers past and present have made in our transportation corridors, utilities, and infrastructure, as well as the vision and values of the current residents.

Rising Property Taxes: A Call for Equity

This year’s tax assessments have hit some District 5 residents especially hard, and I want to acknowledge that pain. For many homeowners, it has meant rebalancing budgets, tightening spending, and worrying about the future.

The City Manager encouraged homeowners who have concerns about the accuracy of their assessment to email her directly at: citymanager@portlandmaine.gov to get information on how to appeal.

On the Council I am working through the Finance Committee on two concrete solutions:

Expanding the Senior Tax Equity Program to include residents of all ages.
Advancing a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program that asks large nonprofits to contribute to the cost of city services.

A Word on Social Housing

One of the most promising initiatives moving forward in Portland right now is Social Housing, and it could be a game-changer for how we solve our housing crisis at scale. The establishment of the Social Housing Task Force marks a turning point in how we think about housing not just as a commodity, but as essential public infrastructure, just like roads, bridges, schools, and fire stations.

The basic idea is this: we use public funds to build and permanently own mixed-income housing that serves low-, moderate-, and middle-income residents. This housing is off the speculative market. It is not beholden to profit margins or outside investors. It is publicly owned, permanently affordable, and aligned with our values and our needs as a city.

When we invest in social housing, we stabilize families, reduce emergency shelter use, relieve pressure on rental markets, and lower the demand for crisis-level public services. The public pays less over time because we are solving problems upstream, not scrambling to manage them after the fact.

Unlike subsidizing private development, which requires continual reinvestment to maintain affordability, social housing is a one-time capital investment that pays long-term dividends. It generates revenue through rent, maintains affordability in perpetuity, and gives the city a real asset—public housing stock that is aligned with our goals.

This approach also allows us to build at a larger scale. We don’t have to wait for the right developer with the right margins; we don’t have to negotiate inclusionary zoning percentages. We can grow in accordance with our own vision for equitable housing development, not according to the bottom line of private capital. That means we can build near schools, near transit corridors, in walkable neighborhoods like Riverton and Deering Center, and build it responsibly.

In fact, social housing is one of the only solutions on the table that addresses every major issue that came up at our District 5 meeting:

Concerned about the shelter system? Build more deeply affordable, stable housing so fewer people ever need emergency shelter in the first place.

Concerned about rising property values and taxes? Invest public dollars in housing to increase supply and reduce reliance of shelters, emergency services, and jails to fill gaps in the social safety net.

Concerned about neighborhood integrity? Plan and design housing that is community-centered, transit-connected, and aligned with long-term infrastructure and land use goals—guided by us as a city, not just the priorities and limitations of the private market.

Social housing allows us to build what we need, where we need it, for the people who need it most—and to do so responsibly, transparently, and in alignment with the values of our city.

That is how we take control of our housing future.

Thanks to everyone who attended the meeting last night, and I look forward to sharing more about the work of the Social Housing Task Force in the weeks ahead.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

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Wednesday July 30, 2025

The Kids Are Alright: Talking Social Housing on Blunt Youth Radio

Long days, warm nights, beach reads, birdsong—and lots of visitors. Summer in Maine is sublime, and so fleeting. I hope you’re soaking it up! My soundtrack to the season has been Animaru, the latest album from the incredible jazz-influenced indie J-pop artist Mei Semones. It’s the perfect blend of dreamy and defiant, and I recently I had the pleasure of chatting about new music and housing justice with the sharp young minds at Blunt Youth Radio on WMPG. We had an energizing conversation about Portland’s housing crisis and the bold solutions we need. We talked about the harsh reality young people are facing: with more than half of Portland renters spending over 30% of their income on rent, housing is simply out of reach for too many. I explained how this affordability crisis is a direct result of relying on the private market to do all the heavy lifting, and why we need public solutions to meet the scale of the problem. We discussed Portland’s inclusionary zoning law, which requires new developments to include affordable units and why it’s so important to defend and strengthen policies that put affordability front and center. I also shared exciting news: we just seated a 13-member Social Housing Task Force to explore how Portland can become a public developer and build the kinds of permanently affordable homes the private market can’t deliver on its own. We looked to models around the world where public funds are used not just to build one project at a time, but to revolve those investments, building exponentially more housing over time, without giving away public value. It was a great reminder that the next generation gets it, and they’re ready to build a better future. To listen, click the July 17th show.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Sunday July 13, 2025

What’s Up with the Federated Settlement? Here’s Why It Matters (and Why It’s a Big Deal for Portland’s Future)

As someone who’s been working closely on housing policy and helped launch our new Social Housing Task Force, I want to offer some context on this week’s big news: the City of Portland is settling a 14-year legal battle with Federated, the Florida-based developer who never followed through on the Midtown project in Bayside.

So what happened?

Back in 2011, we sold valuable city-owned land to Federated, who promised a ton of housing, retail business space, and a parking garage. But despite having approvals, they never pulled permits, and the project expired. Portland taxpayers, meanwhile, kept paying interest on a federal loan for a garage that never got built. We eventually used eminent domain to take back one lot (Lot 6), and Federated sued us—for $15 million. Then we sued them too. It’s been tangled in court for years while Bayside sits there looking like Escape from New York—just overgrown weeds , busted concrete, and rusted-out fencing on some of the most valuable, transit-connected land in the city.

Now, the settlement: we’re paying Federated $15 million to get back all the Bayside land—not just Lot 6, but Lots 1, 3, and 7. This avoids a prolonged legal fight and gets the land back under public control.

Why does this matter?

Because Bayside is strategic. It’s downtown-adjacent, transit-connected, and newly zoned under ReCode to support dense, walkable development. This is exactly the kind of land where we could do something amazing—like build social housing that stays affordable and permanently off the speculative market. We’ve got the tools now: task force seated, policy momentum building, and a public hungry for real housing solutions.

But let’s not sidestep the truth here: Portland got burned on this deal a decade ago. Federated was an unknown developer, and they didn’t deliver. This is a cautionary tale about what happens when we hand over public land to private interests without safeguards. In this case, we’ve clawed back land that should never have been lost—and we did it before a drawn-out lawsuit could paralyze progress even longer.

I say we make sure we don’t waste this second chance. Let’s dream bigger for Bayside. Let’s invest in public land for public good—not more luxury units, not more empty promises.

What would you like to see built there?

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Tuesday June 24, 2025

The Power of Us: Investing in Portland’s Shared Future

Last night, the Council unanimously passed a budget for Fiscal Year 2026 that reflects our values and our commitment to one another—even in the face of growing disinvestment from the state and federal government.

This has been a difficult budget season. The Trump and Mills administrations have advanced austerity budgets that cut deeply into public services: health care, housing support, labor protections, and General Assistance among them. These are not savings. They are costs shifted downward and cities like ours are left to pick up the slack. The conservative agenda calls this “efficiency”; in practice, it redistributes wealth upward and pushes hardship down onto those with the least.

Despite these pressures, we held the line. We passed a zero-balance budget. We pulled from fund balance to meet our obligations. We made tough choices. But we did not give up on our values. And when the City retires its pension obligation bond debt in the years ahead, we’ll begin to recover more flexibility in future budgets.

But here’s what gives me hope: Portland is on the verge of transformation. Thanks to ReCode and a renewed demand for urban living, we are poised for a new wave of development. And this time, we’re prepared.

We’ve put strong protections in place—not just to prevent displacement, but to push back against the kind of cheap, extractive development that saddles working people with long-term heating and cooling costs and accelerates the climate crisis. Policies like rent control, inclusionary zoning, the Green building codes, Vision Zero, and transportation overlay districts are reshaping the rules. We’re not just building more—we’re building better: housing that’s efficient, affordable, connected, and climate-resilient.

We’re planning for growth, and we’re planning for the prosperity to be shared.

Social Housing Task Force Seated

Last night the Mayor announced the members of the newly seated Social Housing Task Force, a critical step forward for housing justice in Portland. This task force is grounded in values: care, community, and collective responsibility. I want to thank the Housing and Economic Development Committee for advancing this initiative with urgency; the Mayor and the selection team for assembling a thoughtful and diverse task force; and the many residents who stepped forward to serve. Your leadership is the heart of this work.

Quick Hits: Child Care, Housing, and Equity

Child Care Vouchers Extended
Councilor Bullett’s budget amendment last night adds $100,000 to extend the Portland Child Care Voucher Collaborative through FY27. This ensures support for families who fall through the cracks of state subsidies.

Before & After Care Expanded
Councilor Grant’s amendment funds four new Rec Programmer positions, opening up 64 new child care slots during critical out-of-school hours.

These two amendments hint at something bigger: that we’re laying the groundwork for a universal early childhood education system. It’s ambitious, but possible. Quebec did it—and did it well. A recent Guardian article highlights how their universal child care system now serves as a model for equity, labor force participation, and long-term economic returns. Ironically, their system was inspired by U.S. research. It’s time we learned from their success.

Doubling Down on Rental Inspections
The Council voted in favor of Councilor Grant’s amendment to add funding for a second rental housing inspector. This will allow better enforcement of housing safety and code compliance citywide. At our recent workshop on rent control enforcement, we heard clearly from tenants: enforcement is critical to the success of our policies.

Council Wages Adjusted for Equity
Modest increases to Council and School Board pay will improve fairness and remove financial barriers to public service. Local government should be accessible to everyone.

Community Engagement Coordinator Funded
Councilor Phillips’ amendment creates a new position to support deeper, more meaningful public engagement. This role will help connect residents to City decisions and ensure community voice is embedded in our work.

What’s Next?

This moment marks the halfway point of my Council term. I feel really good about what we’ve built together so far—and hopeful about where we’re going. Portland is evolving. We’re growing and changing, and that means we’re healthy.

I hear from a lot of people who think the only answer to our budget constraints is to cut, cut, cut. If you’re one of them, I want to say respectfully: I don’t agree. The idea that public services are wasteful and inefficient is everywhere—but it’s a misleading story, designed to erode trust in government until that story becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The truth is, public services are the foundation that make opportunity, safety, and dignity possible for all of us.

Taxes are how we participate in this shared project. They’re our membership fee in something bigger than ourselves—and what we pay into that system comes back to us in the form of strong schools, safe streets, clean water, public parks, and community care.

At the same time, if you’re on a fixed income and worried about whether you can afford to stay in Portland, I hear that, too. Taxes must be fair. That’s why I’m working to advance progressive revenue tools like the expansion of the P-STEP program and a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program.

Portland works best when it works for all of us. If you believe that too, let’s keep building it together.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Tuesday March 18, 2025

One Big (HUGE!) Thing: City Council Approves Social Housing Task Force

Last night, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to establish a Mayoral Task Force to study and recommend a public-led social housing program, a decisive and historic step toward building Portland’s future.

For me, this moment is deeply meaningful. When I ran for City Council in 2023, social housing was the central plank of my campaign platform. I heard from residents across the district who called for bold solutions to the housing crisis, and who understood that relying solely on private development and non-profits wasn’t enough to meet the scale of our need. Now, after a year of steady groundwork, we are moving forward.

Why This Matters

The truth is, Portland has very little power to control how much affordable housing actually gets built. In the past four years, the City Council has approved 16 applications for affordable housing developments using public subsidies. Only three of those projects have made it to construction, and just two have opened their doors. The rest are still waiting in line, often for years, for MaineHousing to fund them.

City staff and councilors spend significant meeting and staff time, and public resources and tax dollars reviewing and underwriting these applications, only for many to fall through due to delays, waitlists, and spiraling construction costs. This is not a criticism of the developers themselves; many are doing their best under a broken system, but we must recognize that this system is failing us.

That is why we need public leadership in housing. Social housing gives us the power to build at scale, to address the “missing middle,” to ensure long-term affordability, and to steward public funds more efficiently by keeping the value of what we build in the hands of the people. Social Housing is just like owning a home versus renting one: when you own, every dollar you invest in maintenance, improvements, or paying down the mortgage builds equity that stays with you and your family. When you rent, that value flows to someone else.

Right now, we are effectively renting housing from Wall Street, pouring public money into a system that transfers value to banks and corporate investors. With social housing, the public owns the asset, and the value it generates, which can be reinvested into more housing and stronger communities.

What’s Next

The Social Housing Task Force will begin its work as soon as members are appointed. The application process will move quickly and will follow the same process used to appoint members to city boards and committees, beginning with the City Clerk’s Office and landing on the agenda of the Legislative and Nominating Committee.

We are looking for residents from all walks of life who want to help shape Portland’s housing future. Members of the public will be chosen to represent backgrounds in housing development, architecture, public finance, labor, climate policy, legal services, and community advocacy. Per Councilor April Fournier’s amendment, which passed unanimously last night, the task force will also include at least two members from underserved populations with lived experience navigating Portland’s housing market. Seats will also include: two City Councilors; a representative from the Planning Board; a member of the Economic Development Committee; city staff with expertise in housing, finance, and planning.

This is an exciting opportunity for residents to engage in transformational work to help envision and design the kind of housing system that can support a thriving economy, a strong labor market, and a more equitable Portland for generations to come.

Portland First: The City Maine Needs to Lead

As Maine’s largest city, Portland has a responsibility to build the bulk of the housing our state desperately needs. We have the infrastructure, public services, transit, and walkability to support smart, sustainable growth. If we don’t build here, growth will spill into surrounding towns, leading to sprawl, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation—outcomes that make life harder for everyone.

The data is stark: Since 1970, Portland’s population has grown just 5%, while Cumberland County has grown 61%. If Portland had kept pace, we would be over 100,000 people today. Instead, growth has leapfrogged us, pushing working families and young people out of the city and straining our region’s resources.

Social housing gives us the tools to reverse this trend. By building the housing Portland needs—right here, where the infrastructure already exists—we can help protect Maine’s natural resources from sprawl and overdevelopment. Portland has always been the heart of Maine’s economy; by growing responsibly and equitably, we can support the entire state while preserving the landscapes and communities that make Maine special.

Let’s Build It Together

This is a moment for optimism and action. Portland’s spirit is captured in one word: Resurgam, “I shall rise again,” which is cast into the metalwork of the gates at City Hall, a lasting symbol of our city’s resilience after the Great Fire of 1866.

We are a city that knows how to rebuild, not just from fire, but from every challenge we’ve faced. We know the value of hard work, collective effort, and laying a strong foundation for future generations. Social housing is our opportunity to carry that legacy forward, to build not just homes, but a stronger, fairer city where everyone can thrive.

The task force application process will begin soon, and I’ll be keeping residents updated on its progress through this newsletter. If you’re interested in applying or want to learn more, reach out anytime. This is your chance to help shape Portland’s housing future, one that complements our zoning reforms, supports a strong labor market, and brings us into a new era of prosperity, livability, and resilience.

If you’re interested in applying, or if you have questions, reach out to me anytime. I’m happy to talk about the process and what the task force will entail.

You can also read more about social housing in my article for Pine and Roses.