How to make a difference on housing

Low

Email the City Council

Advocate for specific actions and support elected officials balancing negative voices. If you check the public record box, your email is included in the packet for the next Council meeting.

Low

Write a postal letter to City Council

Letters mailed to City Hall are included in the Council packet as letters — they carry more weight than emails listed in a batch.

Low

Meet a councilor for coffee

Lobby for specific initiatives, develop relationships. This can be surprisingly effective — councilors value residents who show up and care about issues.

Low

Talk to city staff directly

City staff are usually happy to meet informally with residents. Education flows both ways — your perspective as a resident matters to how they approach their work.

Low

Write a Letter to the Editor

Reach a wide Seacoast audience. Follow the LTE guidelines and keep it focused on one point. Short letters get published more often.

Low

Stay informed and spread the word

Follow print and social media, the city newsletter, and housing-related projects. If you're informed, you can inform others — conversations with neighbors matter more than you think.

Med

Attend key city meetings

Show visible support for housing projects. A short prepared statement is fine. Zoom is available for most meetings — voice-only works. You don't need to stay for the entire meeting.

Housing Committee Planning Board ZBA HDC

Med

Track key housing projects

Get specific projects on your radar through local media and land use board agendas. Knowing what's in the pipeline means you can show up at the right meeting at the right time.

Med

Write a Guest View for SeacoastOnline

Larger impact than a letter to the editor. Pitch directly to the executive editor. Data-driven, solution-oriented pieces tend to get published.

Med

Speak up for the missing voices

Land use boards almost never hear from the people who would actually benefit from rental housing projects. Identify projects early and make sure renters' perspectives are represented — even if you're a homeowner.

Med

Volunteer with advocacy organizations

Contribute your skills to a group of like-minded volunteers working on housing across the Seacoast.

Home for All Workforce Housing Coalition Gather

Med

Participate in the Master Plan process

The 2025–26 Master Plan update is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to embed housing priorities into the city's guiding document. Draft Plan Open House: April 22, 2026. Surveys, comment cards, and neighborhood listening sessions are ongoing.

Med

Connect people through home sharing

If you or someone you know is "overhoused" — more space than needed — home sharing programs match homeowners with residents looking for affordable housing. Maine already runs a successful model.

High

Apply for a land use board seat

Board members make the land use decisions that determine whether housing gets built. Demanding role that requires relevant experience, but this is where policy becomes reality. Vacancies are posted by the City Clerk.