Founded in 1972 with a shoestring budget and a staff of three, Avesta Housing has grown to become one of the country’s most innovative and respected leaders in affordable housing.

Known as York Cumberland Housing before changing its name in 2003, Avesta Housing originated when two Maine Community Action agencies joined to focus on affordable housing problems. With steady growth over the subsequent four decades, Avesta has assets of $214 million, an annual operating budget of $26 million and a staff of approximately 100 employees. Avesta owns or manages more than 2,000 apartments and operates an assisted living facility in Gorham licensed for 37 residents. Avesta's administrative headquarters is in Portland, Maine.

Avesta also operates a NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center that provides home buyer education and foreclosure prevention counseling.

A nonprofit organization, Avesta Housing is governed by a fifteen member Board of Directors drawn from the financial, business, public sector, community, social-service, and housing spheres.

Today, Avesta Housing is one of the largest nonprofit developers of affordable housing in New England. Avesta receives consistently high marks from its many state, federal and private-sector partners, and is recognized nationally for groundbreaking work in bringing together nonprofit, for-profit, private and public-sector organizations for the benefit of Maine communities.