Everyone agrees Maine needs more housing. So why isn’t it getting built?

In this episode of Maine For Keeps, Jonathan Bush sits down with Matt Marks, a lifelong Mainer and construction industry veteran, to pull back the curtain on the real reasons development in Maine is so painfully slow—and what we can do to change it.

They cover:

🛠️ Why developers are walking away from projects before they start

🌲 When environmental policy turns into performance art (Christmas tree seawalls?)

📈 The bright spot: trade school apprenticeships and a booming construction workforce

📉 The dark spot: permit backlogs, regulatory death-by-a-thousand-cuts, and “not in my backyard” politics

🚧 How to fix the system without sacrificing Maine’s environmental values

If you care about Maine’s housing crisis, workforce future, or economic development, this episode will both frustrate you and fire you up.

Subscribe for honest conversations with the people who are fighting to make Maine a place we can all build and belong.