Announcing Raise the Roof – A $10M Campaign to Build Seasonal Workforce Housing


The Campaign Will Support the Construction of Housing at Two Locations Within the Park’s Boundary.

Raise the Roof campaign

BAR HARBOR, MAINE—At its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, July 10, Friends of Acadia publicly announced its Raise the Roof Campaign—a $10 million fundraising campaign to support the construction of seasonal workforce housing at two campuses in Acadia National Park. $7.5 million has been raised to date.

The fundraising campaign is part of Friends of Acadia’s commitment to help solve the severe housing shortage on Mount Desert Island that’s impacting Acadia’s ability to hire enough seasonal workers. For the past several years, about 30% of Acadia’s seasonal jobs were left unfilled. As rental prices increase and housing inventory decreases, a dire housing situation is only getting worse.

Constructing new housing units at Acadia is imperative for a meaningful and sustainable long-term solution. But constructing buildings within a national park requires careful consideration to preserve park values and experiences. The National Park Service (NPS) and Friends of Acadia have identified two suitable sites that could provide housing for 60-plus seasonal employees: the Harden Farm property in Bar Harbor and the Dane Farm property in Seal Harbor.

Both sites are conveniently located near village centers, near Island Explorer routes, and have access to public utilities. And because only the NPS can build on park land, these projects are not competing for building lots for other workforce housing efforts.

Friends of Acadia purchased the Dane Farm property in Seal Harbor last year and is well underway on the construction of two residential units with eight bedrooms. When completed, Friends of Acadia will donate the structures and property to the park, and seasonal employees are expected to be living there by Spring 2025.

The larger Harden Farm property is already home to eight existing housing units and has been identified as a location for the expansion of workforce housing since 1959. This property would provide a planned 50-60 additional beds for seasonal workers in two phases of construction. The National Park Service is leading project design and development and hopes to begin phase one construction at Harden Farm later this year.

Friends of Acadia’s Raise the Roof donation of $10 million will unlock another $10+ million in matching funds through federal and other funding. The dynamic partnership between the park and Friends of Acadia positions Acadia National Park as a leader in tackling a housing crisis that is plaguing national parks across the country.

“Once again, we’re proud to partner with Acadia National Park to lead the way,” said Friends of Acadia President and CEO Eric Stiles. “Seasonal workers are the backbone of Acadia’s operations from May through November,” he added. “When we build seasonal employee housing at the park, we’re building a better visitor experience, a better community, and a better Acadia. But we can’t do it without our friends. Every dollar, every contribution will help us achieve our goal.”

To learn more about the campaign and create the housing for Acadia’s seasonal workforce, visit friendsofacadia.org/raisetheroof or contact Lisa Horsch Clark, Vice President of Development, at lisahorsch@friendsofacadia.org.

News Stories:

Acadia National Park to more than double worker housing – News Center Maine

Friends of Acadia “Raising The Roof” To Create Housing For Acadia National Park Seasonals – National Parks Traveler

Acadia’s fundraising partner launches $10M campaign to build employee housing – Mainebiz

Park and FOA announce $10 million campaign for seasonal housing – MDIslander

Friends of Acadia launches fundraising campaign for workforce housing – Maine Public

Acadia conservation group announces $10 million campaign to build workforce housing – Fox Bangor

Acadia group launches fundraising campaign for workforce housing – Bangor Daily News

Friends of Acadia Raises the Roof – Bar Harbor Story

Friends of Acadia Annual Meeting & Raise the Roof Campaign Launch – WDEA

 

 

Raise the Roof

Friends of Acadia’s Raise the Roof campaign is raising $10 million to address the severe seasonal employee housing shortage at Acadia National Park.