FARMINGTON – One down, 16 to go.
Representatives from a number of state agencies and nonprofit organizations celebrated the renovation of a mobile home Wednesday, which they hope is the first of many at 82 High Street. A low to moderate income housing development located on Sawtelle Lane, the property consists of 17 mobile homes, 13 owned by the corporation, and 13 apartment units, providing homes for 30 families. It is managed by the nonprofit 82 High Street Corporation, and its board of directors.
Before 1987, the area was privately owned and was in generally poor shape. Local ministries, Western Maine Community Action and Maine Housing Authority came together to assemble the funding necessary to purchase the development and move in new mobile homes and upgrade the three apartment buildings. Last year, the town of Farmington and 82 High Street partnered to successfully apply for $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding, pairing that with another $90,000 in Department of Energy weatherization money to begin an ambitious renovation project.
“We said back then [in 1987] that the sweat and labor of the community would make it work,” Western Maine Community Action’s executive director, Fenwick Fowler said. “And it has.”
WMCA has been contracted by 82 High Street to oversee the renovation and weatherization of the mobile home units, with a goal of making the development usable for another 20 years. The renovation of the first mobile home took four months and cost $40,000; more time and money than organizers would like. Fowler noted that contractors had to be used for much of the process, as volunteers didn’t have the experience working with mobile homes. WMCA has lined up seven roof repairs for April, time-sensitive due to rapid deterioration which follows a leaky roof, and 14 renovations for the coming months and years.
Using Maine State Housing Authority funding, 82 High Street has outright replaced one of the worse-off mobile homes, at the cost of $52,000. That model is an Energy Star unit, setting efficiency benchmarks that Fowler said the renovated mobile homes will try and meet.
“So far, we’ve exceeded it,” he said.
According to WMCA’s program manager, William Crandall, of the energy and housing department, the renovation included replacing rotted-out walls, installing new windows and doors and using foam board, packed cellulose and fiberglass insulation to prevent the massive heat loss the mobile home was experiencing through the floor, which is mounted on an I-beam axis so it can theoretically be “mobile.”
The home has been wrapped in Tyvek, which keeps heat in while allowing moisture out. In addition, cabinets have been replaced and added, the ceiling has been painted and generally the home has been improved.
In addition, the CDBG and Department of Energy funding, the project has benefited from countless hours of volunteer help from members of the community, including the Mission to the Eastward.
