Portland Housing Authority Opens New Doors to Homeownership

PORTLAND, Maine (November 10, 2025) – Portland Housing Authority (PHA) and Portland Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) are taking a bold new step toward expanding homeownership opportunities within the city with the creation of Front Street Condominiums in East Deering.

Front Street Condominiums will include eight new homes designed and built by Backyard ADUs, a designer-builder of high-quality Net Zero ready homes using modern prefab construction techniques. Six homes will be income-restricted and sold to households earning up to 120% of the area median income. This includes four two-bedroom town homes of roughly 818 square feet, priced at $298,500, and two four-bedroom duplexes of roughly 1,160 square feet, priced at $358,000. The remaining two homes will be market-rate and available for purchase: three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath townhouses at 41 West Presumpscot Street, priced at $552,800.

Front Street Condominiums will be the first homeownership project in the Portland Housing Development Corporation portfolio. The agency’s long history of developing affordable rental housing has set the foundation for this next step, giving residents a way to build equity and stability as homeowners.

“This is the first homeownership project we’ve ever taken on,” said Sarah Tatarczuk, Development Officer for Portland Housing Development Corporation. “We have learned how important it is for families to have a path from renting to owning. These homes make that possible while keeping affordability in the neighborhood.”

Front Street Condominiums are made possible through collaboration with several community partners, including MaineHousing, the City of Portland, Norway Savings Bank, and the Genesis Community Loan Fund each helping ensure this project could move from concept to construction.

“This development is a great example of Portland Housing Development Corporation thinking innovatively to solve a range of housing needs in Maine’s largest city,” said MaineHousing Development Director Mark Wisendanger. “It serves a wide range of incomes and provides both affordable rental housing and houses that can be purchased with middle-income wages. Here where obsolete 1970s-era public housing, which was meant to be temporary, recently stood, we are building beautiful new durable and efficient homes that will enhance the quality of life for Portlanders and serve the city for generations to come.”

“This is an exciting chance for the City of Portland to support the development of homeownership opportunities for our workforce,” said Greg Watson, the City of Portland’s Housing & Economic Development Director. “We’re proud to continue partnering with Portland Housing Authority in its important mission, and pleased that we were able to support this project through affordable housing tax increment financing.”

“Affordable, safe and energy-efficient housing is a critical need in our community,” said Dan Walsh, President and CEO of Norway Savings Bank. “Norway Savings Bank is pleased to be able to join with other organizations like Portland Housing Authority, Genesis, and MaineHousing that share our concerns about the lack of housing and are eager to ensure creative housing solutions like this come to fruition. We're grateful for these partnerships which aim to increase the quality of life for residents, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to a stronger community.

“Working alongside Portland Housing Development Corporation, MaineHousing, the City of Portland, and Norway Savings Bank, Genesis is proud to support this final phase of the Front Street redevelopment, which responds directly to residents’ call for more homeownership opportunities,” said Liza Fleming-Ives, Executive Director of the Genesis Community Loan Fund. “Front Street Phase 3 shows what can happen when partners come together with a shared vision of giving families the chance to put down roots and build stability in a vibrant neighborhood with green space and community amenities close at hand.”

Front Street Condominiums are part of the third and final phase of Portland Housing Authority’s award-winning redevelopment of the Front Street neighborhood. The new homes sit within a growing community near Payson Park, Baxter Boulevard, and the Washington Avenue business corridor offering residents easy access to recreation, local shops, and transit connections.

For more information about Front Street Condominiums, please visit www.gardnerregroup.com.

About Portland Housing Authority
Established in 1943, the Portland Housing Authority provides long-term, affordable fair rental housing and assistance to around 3,200 low-income families, seniors and disabled individuals through its federally subsidized housing programs. PHA houses over 6,000 residents, about 8.6% of the City’s population. PHA believes that providing safe, quality, affordable housing gives residents the stability and opportunity for success they need and deserve. For more information, visit www.porthouse.org.

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