Residents of a town in Maine are campaigning to build a $13 million complex of 60 apartments for asylum seekers where they can live for free for two years and then pay a fraction of the rent.
Locals in Brunswick have expressed anger at the project, which is funded with a mix of private and public money and has been heavily criticized by Donald Trump Jr.
The Brunswick apartment complex is one of several projects being launched by the city 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.
In the new buildings for asylum seekers, residents can live rent-free for up to two years while receiving a work permit.
Then, if they get a job that pays half the average local salary of $60,000, they only have to pay a third of the rent. It works out to a monthly fee of about $500 for a one-bedroom and $690 for a two-bedroom.
Brunswick residents, including Georger Bernier (pictured), protested the construction of a 60-apartment complex for asylum seekers as the city faces a housing crisis
The 60-apartment complex is funded with a mix of private and public money through MaineHousing, the state’s housing authority
The state’s housing authority, MaineHousing, put $6 million into the complex’s construction, while the other half of the financing was provided to a private Portland development company. Above is an example of the available apartments at Brunswick Landing
MaineHousing has set aside $2 million to cover rent on the properties for two years, although tenants are expected to pay 30% of their rent once they start earning half the average salary in the area.
The state has also set aside about $2 million to cover rent on the properties for two years, although tenants are expected to pay 30 percent of their rent once they start earning half the area’s average salary.
While some in the area have embraced the project — thousands raised through a GoFundMe to pay for furniture for newcomers — others say it’s unfair.
The plans have sparked outrage among some residents, who voiced their opposition during a heated council meeting on February 20.
‘All kinds of houses are being built. That, in my opinion, is discrimination,” said local George Bernier. ‘Am I too white? Is that what it is? Am I working too much? What is the discrimination factor?’
“How can we provide housing to anyone other than our Brunswick residents first?”
“You have to look at the needs of our current residents,” Lisa Trombley added. “If we don’t have a plan to take care of the residents, we shouldn’t invite them. Wherever they come from, we can’t afford it.’
The units are designed to house asylum seekers while they wait for a work permit, a process that can take at least six months.
As soon as they earn 50 percent of the average income, they must contribute 30 percent to the rent.
The average salary is $59,744 per year or $28.72 per hour in Brunswick according to data from SalaryExpert. This means renters must earn $29,872 before they start paying rent.
The average rent is $1,600 per month for a typical one-bedroom home, according to Zillow, meaning renters will have to contribute $480 if the properties are rented at market rates.
After the two years are up, the apartments are proposed to be converted into a mix of affordable and market-rate housing unless the state deems the project should move forward.
Much of the criticism of the plan stems from claims that it is moving forward while the city is making budget cuts in other departments and while Brunswick is in the grip of a housing crisis.
There is a shortage of affordable housing in the region This is largely fueled by rising construction costs since the pandemic.
The average home in Brunswick costs $452,329 according to Zillow, which also says home prices have risen nearly 10 percent in the past year.
Lisa Trombley, a local Brunswick resident, said the city should take care of its residents before helping asylum seekers
The city council issued a memo stating that none of the tax dollars are being used to subsidize the apartments and that $70,000 in private donations helped furnish the apartments.
“The City of Brunswick was not made aware of the housing arrangement until the families moved to Brunswick,” the memo said.
“While the City of Brunswick did not initiate this project and is not paying to subsidize these units, it did coordinate a community-based fundraiser to purchase furnishings 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 intended for asylum seekers when it was approved by the Planning Board.
According to the newspaper, the average rent is $1,600 per month for a one-bedroom home. The average salary is $59,744 per year or $28.72 per hour according to SalaryExpert data.
The designation came only after the original developer sold the project to MaineHousing and real estate company Developers Collaborative, King said.
The project recently came under fire from Donald Trump Jr. while campaigning for his father in New Hampshire.
Trump Jr. has falsely claimed that the asylum seekers being housed are in the US illegally and that they do not have to contribute anything to the costs.
Volunteers raised $70,000 to provide furniture for the apartments
A one-bedroom house in Brunswick costs citizens an average of about $1,600 per month in rent under normal circumstances
“In this part of the world, and in Maine, they are giving illegal immigrants free housing — multi-million dollar free housing, while putting veterans on the street,” 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 and has recently struggled to cope with an increase in migrants. In Portland, city officials said they received more than 1,600 asylum seekers last year.
But for the 23 families already involved in the complex, the facilities are a lifeline.
Among the beneficiaries is a woman from Nigeria called Esther, who described the accommodation as ‘life-changing’.
She moved to the complex after being moved between hotels and shelters.
“There are rules and regulations in a hotel,” Esther said Maine News Center. ‘We also have so many people in a shelter. We share the kitchen together. We share the toilet together.’
Scott Thistle, a spokesperson for MaineHousing, told FOX23 that less than one percent of the $1.24 billion the agency allocated over the past two years was for housing specifically for asylum seekers.