LITTLETON, Maine — A Littleton family traded in their pre-1976 mobile home for a brand new home last week thanks to some support from the Aroostook County Action Program and the Maine State Housing Authority.
Tyler and Angela Schools and their two daughters, Ariah and Scarlett, gathered with ACAP officials as well as representatives from the town of Littleton for a homeownership celebration on June 30. The Schools family was nominated for the program by Littleton Town Manager Courtney Toby and Code Enforcement Officer Clarissa Porter. The two municipal officials visited with the family in their mobile home before making the recommendation that they receive a new home to ACAP.
The Schools’ new home will be a stick-built, two-bedroom home with a full basement.
“The home is being constructed through funds allocated to ACAP by MaineHousing through a statewide Maine Energy, Housing and Economic Recovery Program,” Jim Baillargeon, senior Manager for ACAP Energy and Housing said in a written statement. “The goal of the program is to replace hazardous, unhealthy and inefficient homes that do not meet U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations.”
The project was possible, according to ACAP officials, as they last August received enough money to replace one home from the $1.267 million statewide program for replacing mobile homes. The Schools were selected from 139 potential candidates region-wide.
Baillargeon said that the family was chosen due to the expense of maintaining such an “older mobile home,” so “this young, hard-working family found it difficult to get ahead.”
He classified the new home as “safe” and “energy-efficient.”
“We cannot say thank you enough. This really takes a huge burden off our shoulders,” said Angela Schools. “The way the community, ACAP, MaineHousing and all of you came together has changed our lives. We won’t have to worry about pipes freezing or it being dangerous for our children to run down the hallway. We truly have a new start, and we want to do everything we can to help others in the same situation because we understand what a difference it makes.”
Ground was officially broken on the site of the new home in late April. Foundation work and excavation work was completed in May. The home is expected to be completed later this summer.
