Bar Harbor survey looks to get a handle on how much housing is needed
File photo / Laurie Schreiber
Lack of affordable housing is making it hard for stores, restaurants and other Bar Harbor businesses to recruit employees.
With the town of Bar Harbor reviewing strategies to address the local housing shortfall and the lack of affordable options putting a strain on employee recruitment, officials are now looking to get a handle on just how many housing units would be needed to solve the problem.
Earlier this month, the town’s planning and code enforcement office launched brief online surveys, called “Understanding Housing Challenges,” for employees and employers.
The survey for area workers is designed for people working in the region and seeks to understand the housing preferences people have and the choices they are looking for. Everyone, including those who don't live in Bar Harbor, is welcome to participate.
The survey asks, “If you were able to live and work in Bar Harbor, would you choose to do so and under what conditions?”
The goal is to provide the town with information on the potential demand for housing from an employment standpoint and the barriers employees and their households face.
The results are expected to provide guidance on how much housing and what kind needs to be developed, both now and in the future.
A separate survey aims to get input from Bar Harbor-based employers on whether their jobs are year-round or seasonal, the salary range, the current housing portfolio and estimates of housing needs, among other questions.
The more extensive survey asks the number of year-round and seasonal employees who live in Bar Harbor, how many employees are unhoused or underhoused, and whether employees who don’t live in town have difficulty finding housing that meets their needs in Bar Harbor.
Other questions ask employers if they have ever lost an employee due to lack of housing or issues with housing affordability in Bar Harbor and if they have to restrict the number of months the business is open due to a lack of year-round workers.
At a recent council meeting, Councilor Val Peacock noted that 70% of the jobs in Bar Harbor in 2019 were filled by employees who lived outside of town.
Results of the surveys will be discussed as part of the town’s comprehensive planning process this winter and spring, she said.
Both surveys expire Nov. 11.
Click here for the employee survey.
Click here for the employer survey.
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