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Northern New England Housing Investment Fund
Village Centre – Brewer, Maine

Village Centre, developed by Community Housing of Maine (CHOM), is a new construction family project in Brewer, Maine. This three story, 54,000 square foot, 48-unit housing project was designed under Passive House standards. Passive House is a standard in energy efficiency that refers to ultra-low energy, high-efficiency buildings, with Village Centre estimated to be over 60% more energy efficient than a typical apartment building. Some of the energy saving measures include; a 100-panel photovoltaic array on the roof, triple-paned windows and super tight insulation with no thermal bridging. Built on a former Brownfield site, it is the second largest passive house in the United States and the largest in a cold climate. In 2016, it was awarded Best Multifamily and Best Affordable Housing project by Passive House Institute US.

The energy efficiency measures are only one part of CHOM’s ultimate goal to provide livability and accessibility within sustainable affordable housing to some of Maine’s most vulnerable populations. The project partners with local organizations such as Penobscot Community Healthcare and Frannie Peabody Center to identify and house people who are homeless or who have HIV/AIDS with the assistance of specialized vouchers and on-going support services. An additional waitlist preference is given to the blind and visually impaired. Village Centre provides a community room and outdoor playground for families, all within walking distance of downtown Brewer and the Brewer Rec Center. A sheltered bus stop on site allows for alternate transportation.

NNEHIF’s 481 Fund 3 provided $7.6 million in equity. Additional financing was secured in the form of hard and soft debt from Maine State Housing Authority and the project benefits from a TIF from the city of Brewer.