Housing prices, climate change top of mind at Common Ground Fair

Dozens of Mainers stopped by The Maine Monitor ’s booth at the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity over the weekend to share their thoughts on the most pressing issue facing the state.

Housing affordability came out on top, followed by climate change.

A number of people mentioned health care access; the need for more public transportation; PFAS contamination; education; and the opioid crisis.

Also on the list: utility costs; food prices; child care access; gun violence; taxes; domestic violence; student debt; disinformation; shoreline protection; invasive species; fisheries; and more.

One noted the "detrimental effects of unchecked tourism, resource consumption, traffic," while another highlighted the goal of "making progress without losing cultural identity."

U.S. Senator Angus King dropped by on Saturday afternoon and took note of Mainers’ thoughts.

Here’s a sample of our recent reporting on some of these issues:

Housing

‘The hornet’s nest’: How seven wealthy summer residents halted workforce housing on Mount Desert Island

Farmington’s only homeless shelter closed in 2020. Efforts to open a new one have failed.

Communities mostly in compliance with new housing law as deadline passes

Climate change

Sinking in Saltwater: Maine’s coastal marshes at risk as sea levels rise

‘All emergencies are local until they’re not’: How one Maine town is prepping for its next disaster

Denmark considers tightening regulations on water extraction despite Poland Spring opposition

Health care

A Maine nursing home owner has been in the business for nearly 50 years. He wants out.

Group explores ambulance vessels as part of solution to island care crisis

As need for dementia specialists grows, one rural clinic takes a hybrid approach

Opioid crisis

‘Historically left out,’ a Wabanaki organization forges its own approach to addiction treatment

A place for women in recovery, and their kids

How are Maine counties and municipalities spending their opioid settlement funds?