Coastal Conversations Radio Program: From the Sea Up: Deer Isle and Stonington

Coastal Conversations Show: November 22, 2024

Host: Galen Koch, College of the Atlantic and First Coast

This program features an episode of Island Institute’s podcast, From the Sea Up. Nestled within an archipelago in Penobscot Bay, the towns of Stonington and Deer Isle share an island and a public school system, deep family ties, a culture rooted in commercial fishing and art, and, like much of the nation, a dire housing crisis. In these towns there are simply not enough places for working people to live. Over twenty years ago, a small group of passionate Islanders began brainstorming and researching one solution to the housing problem. In 2020 that group, Island Workforce Housing, broke ground on the construction of five homes, each containing two year-round rentals. This is just one solution to a monumental issue facing this island and other communities in Maine and around the country. 

In this episode, we dig into the domino effect of the housing crisis on a hyper-local level. A lack of housing options played a role in the 2021 closure of the Island Nursing Home, the shrinking population in the public school system, and the struggle for commercial fishermen to find reliable workers. We explore how housing affects not only the fabric of a community but also access to a working waterfront. 

Guests

Kathleen Billings: Stonington Town Manager
Linda Nelson: Stonington Economic and Community Development Director
Anna Woolsey: Wife of Ryan Woolsey, grew up in Stonington
Ryan Woolsey: Lobsterman, lives in Penobscot
Maggie Kirsch: Island Workforce Housing
Megan Dewey Wood: Island Workforce Housing
Henry Teverow: Island Workforce Housing

For More Information

To listen to more episodes of From the Sea Up visit www.islandinstitute.org/podcast

From the Sea Up is made possible by the Fund for Maine Islands through a partnership between Island Institute, College of the Atlantic, Maine Sea Grant, and the First Coast. To hear past episodes and for more information visit islandinstitute.org/stories/podcast

Listen to the show on WERU archives

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