2026 MDI Housing Solutions Initiative Panels & Presentations

Participants at the 2023 MDI Housing Solutions Summit identified the need for “cultural strategies” or ways to create more common language and understanding around how we think about housing needs and dynamics in the MDI region. In 2024 - 2025 we participated in a series of discussions at area libraries with the MDI Historical Society that looked at the current housing crisis in the context of other island-wide challenges in history. These presentations included a facilitated question and answer session and broader discussion.

This year (2026) we’ve participated in and/or organized a number of community conversations about various aspects of the MDI Housing Solutions Initiative work:

• Friday, February 13, 2026: “Coffee Clash” event at Birch Bay through Acadia Senior College (with Noel, Susanne, and David Witham of Witham Family Hotels). This panel focused on creative success stories around addressing housing challenges in Bar Harbor and across MDI.

• Wednesday, August 12, 2026:“Cultivating YIMBY Culture: Balancing Concerns and Opportunities in the Housing Development Process”
  This panel discussion brought together community leaders, planners, housing advocates, and developers to examine how we can move from resisting to embracing thoughtful housing opportunities.

• Thursday, August 27, 2026: "MDI Housing Opportunities: How Much Do We Need? Where Could It Go?”
  This presentation was a version of the one that Susanne presented in San Diego at the 2026 ESRI UC and looked at data from the MDI & Acadia Region Housing Analysis, how the MDI Housing Opportunities Map was made, and examples of implementation opportunities.

Additional panel discussions are under consideration, including a discussion of new legislative changes, a discussion on balancing sustainability and resilience with affordability, and a discussion on the development process from soup to nuts.

Please reach out with any questions.

Jesup Library presentation, August 27, 2026.

Mollie Cashwell, Noel Musson, Val Peacock. Cultivating YIMBY Culture panel discussion, August 12, 2026.

Mollie Cashwell, Noel Musson, Val Peacock, Sherry Billings, Cali Martinez. Cultivating YIMBY Culture panel discussion, August 12, 2026.