AUGUSTA – On Tuesday, Rep. Holly Eaton, D-Deer Isle, introduced a bill to provide funding for the redevelopment of the Island Nursing Home in Deer Isle into affordable senior housing.
“This bill is about restoring opportunity and dignity for older Mainers in our coastal communities,” said Eaton. “When the Island Nursing Home closed, it created a ripple effect that continues to impact families across our region. We lost a critical long-term care facility – but more than that, we lost a sense of stability and safety for our aging residents.”
LD 1106 proposes a one-time appropriation of $250,000 to the Maine State Housing Authority to support the redevelopment of the former Island Nursing Home into affordable senior housing. This funding will kick-start renovations, which are expected to cost roughly $2 million, and will also help leverage additional private and federal investments.
The Island Nursing Home first opened in 1983 with 50 skilled and residential care beds and expanded to 70 beds in the late 1990s. It closed in October 2021 and tried to reopen as a residential care facility, but ultimately did not due to a significant financial gap.
Eaton introduced the bill at the request of the Hon. Skip Greenlaw, who serves as vice president of the Board of Directors for the Island Nursing Home. In his testimony, Greenlaw stated that work is underway to convert two patient rooms into an apartment, and they anticipate a total of 23 units.
“While we understand that state resources are very tight, we know that you all consider housing a priority,” said Greenlaw. “The investment we are asking you to make for the reconstructed apartments will generate some badly needed housing at a very reasonable cost per unit.”
A work session on the bill will be scheduled in the coming days.
Eaton is serving her second term in the Maine House and represents the communities of Brooklin, Deer Isle, Eagle Island Township, Frenchboro, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Swan’s Island, Tremont, Isle au Haut and Vinalhaven. She serves as a member of the Marine Resources Committee and the Transportation Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Eaton) | 305-965-2744
Photo: Rep. Holly Eaton thanks bill cosponsors Sen. Nicole Grohoski, D-Hancock, Rep. Nina Milliken, D-Blue Hill, and the Hon. Skip Greenlaw for testifying in support of LD 1106.