Housing Authority

The Bar Harbor Housing Authority (BHHA) administers a federally funded Public Housing Program (via HUD, The Department of Housing & Urban Development) for low-income individuals, elderly, disabled, families and veterans on Mount Desert Island. It is a quasi-municipal non-profit organization.

The BHHA Board meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. Commissioners will be informed of date changes or cancellations by the Executive Director, or by Board Liaison Theresa Hodgdon.

Five Community Members at Large, and two Tenant Commissioners form the Board. They serve either five or four years, respectively, unless either are filling out the term of another.  HUD imposes no term limits so any may seek reappointment. All are appointed by the Town Council, but Tenant Commissioners are chosen from among the residential communities within which they reside. Board members must reside in Bar Harbor, or its neighboring towns.

The Board’s role is that of fiscal oversight and to adopt & monitor policy set by HUD, the federal government, the state, or the Housing Authority; day-to-day operations are not the purview or responsibility of the Board, but of the Executive Director and the staff. Commissioners are expected to attend meetings regularly, and to familiarize themselves with Board packet materials, the agency’s mission, programs and policies, federal and state laws, and regulations relating to Public Housing. www.hud.gov is a good resource, as is Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

For information, applications and housing information, please call 288-4770 ext 127 during business hours Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and ask for Theresa, or visit www.emdiha.org.

Members

  • Dee Whitmore, Tenant Commissioner
    801-1040
    Term expires 2026
  • Christine Witham, Community Member at Large
    288-1148
    Term expires 2024
  • Cindy Flye, Tenant Commissioner
    Term expires 2024