Conversation with Chris Herbert and Elizabeth Frazier

Maine is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis, but the issue is far more complex than rising prices. In this episode of MEREDA Matters, Dr. Chris Herbert of Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and Elizabeth Frazier, Partner at Pierce Atwood sit down with MEREDA President, Shannon Richards to unpack why the system is strained, where the bottlenecks really sit, and what it will take to build our way to something more sustainable. From the cost pressures baked into construction and land markets to the promise (and limitations) of zoning reform, small-scale infill, ADUs, and new industrialized building technologies, this discussion connects national research to Maine’s on-the-ground reality. The takeaway? There is no single fix, but there is a path forward. If you care about the future of Maine’s communities, workforce, and neighborhoods, this is a conversation worth leaning into.