Housing, Historic Struggles, Thoughts for the Future

The MDI Housing Solutions Initiative partnered with the MDI Historical Society to deliver a series of talks at MDI libraries during the Fall of 2024 through the Spring of 2025. Inspired by Eliza Bryant Worrick's 2024 Chebacco article, 'The Influence of the Seasonal Economy on Mount Desert Island’s Year-Round Housing Patterns', this talk first provided case studies of three island-wide challenges and how the towns and individuals came together to address those challenges. Next, we reviewed housing data for all four towns on the island and gave an overview of the MDI Housing Solutions summits and work to date. Lastly, audience members were engaged in discussion of their concerns and perceptions about housing challenges in their towns and across the MDI region.

Click here to view the presentation at the Southwest Harbor Library from June 2025.