A podcast episode about the housing crisis in Deer Isle & Stonington has been released! 

You can listen at any of these links: spotify, apple podcasts, or in your browser. Or read a transcript.

Produced by Galen Koch for the Island Institute, this episode talks about the history of our local community and working waterfront, how it has been affected by the housing crisis, and what solutions are being explored. 

Our towns share an island, a public school system, deep family ties, a culture rooted in commercial fishing and art, and a dire housing crisis. In this episode you’ll hear about how housing affects not only the fabric of our community but also access to our working waterfront, and what is at risk if people can't find housing. 

There are great interviews with fisherman Ryan Woolsey and Anna Boyce Woolsey, Stonington Town Manager Kathleen Billings, Stonington Economic Development Director Linda Nelson, and a few of us from the board of IWH: Henry Teverow, Maggie Kirsch, and Megan Dewey-Wood.  

The issues talked about are near and dear to everyone on the island, both year-round and seasonal residents. We all want the community to thrive as a vibrant working waterfront, and having sufficient year-round housing is a critical part of that equation.

We so appreciate Galen, who grew up in Stonington, for presenting this multi-faceted subject in such a clear and compelling way. And Nicole for capturing the beauty and grit of this place we call home.

We hope you will share it with others who are interested in hearing more about our community and about the work of Island Workforce Housing.

From the Sea Up is made possible by the Fund for Maine Islands and a partnership between the Island Institute, College of the Atlantic, Maine Sea Grant, and The First Coast.

All photography by Nicole Wolf @nicole_wolf_photography.