What’s a Tiny Home Park? Bangor Will Be the First in Maine to Get One

Think trailer park, only with adorable tiny homes.

Bangor Daily News reported that a couple of local developers will turn a mobile home park in Bangor into a tiny home park with 34 properties. It's a brilliant idea and a first of its kind in Maine. It's the brainchild of Louie Morrison who is a landlord in Bangor with currently 300 rental units. He bought the Martel mobile home park on Hammond Street last year with his business partner Luke McCannell. The best part of the tiny home park is that no residents will be displaced.

This got unanimous approval from the Bangor Planning Board.

Of course, it did because it's just what Maine needs right now. Affordable, energy-efficient homes! Even if they are around 400 square feet or less. And unlike mobile homes, these are on slabs. Plus, they can be built quickly and are affordable. Currently, on the CLEC Management website, they say,

Costs are continually changing, so pricing will be based on the current costs of construction. If current costs hold, Units will be starting in the $100,000 – $150,000 range.

I like how Louie and his partner are handling the purchase of the mobile home park. They could have, and unfortunately, we've seen it before in Maine, kicked out the residents. But they didn't. Louie Morrison told the Bangor Daily News,

Our goal is to not kick anyone out that’s still living there. It’d be like kicking my grandparents out of their home — I’d never do it.

The tiny homes will be 320 square feet with a 96-square-foot attached porch and sit in a roughly 1,400-square-foot lot. They will have a backyard and a one-car parking space. It will be all-electric with a heat pump. They hope to finish in the spring of 2024. They will be rented until all are built and sold. Rent starts at an incredibly affordable $800 to $1200 a month. Try getting that anywhere near Portland.

As you can imagine interest has been overwhelming. People want this affordable option. Come on Greater Portland! Bangor has a great idea that we could use in Southern Maine! Who will be the first in this area?