ROCKLAND – The Island Institute announced on Monday a new grant program designed to address two critical issues facing Maine’s year-round island communities: diminishing saltwater access for those who depend upon fishing for their livelihoods, and the lack of affordable housing.

The new Affordable Coast Fund will provide $235,000 in new grants this year to help Maine communities, families and fishermen acquire the property, technical assistance and professional development they need to address these issues, which are crucial to community sustainability. The new Affordable Coast Fund includes two separate grant streams: Working Waterfront Grants and Affordable Housing Grants.

Full application information is available by calling 594-9209 and asking for Jennifer Litteral or Chris Wolff.

“There is a crucial need for funding in island and coastal communities, both for acquiring the saltwater access needed for fishing-related jobs, and for securing more affordable housing options,” said Robert Snyder, an official with the Island Institute. “This new grant program will begin to address these needs.”

Working waterfront land is at a premium all along Maine’s coast, with only about 20 miles of saltwater access available along the state’s 5,300-mile-long coast. Similarly, affordable housing for working island families is scarce or nonexistent, with the average island family able to afford only half the price of a median-priced island home.

The Working Waterfront Grants program includes three types of grants totaling $130,000 in 2007:

. Grants totaling $100,000 are available to assist with land purchases including the costs of acquiring development rights or rights-of-way.

. Grants totaling $20,000 are available for technical assistance, including legal fees and appraisals.

. Grants totaling $10,000 are available for professional development, including harbormaster certification and captain’s license programs.

Affordable Housing Grants (available only for projects in unbridged year-round island communities and Stonington) include three types of grants totaling $105,000 in 2007:

. Grants totaling $75,000 are available to town governments and nonprofits to assist with purchase of affordable housing for use by island families and community members.

. Grants totaling $20,000 are available for capital projects to upgrade and/or maintain existing affordable housing properties.

. Grants totaling $10,000 are available for professional development.

The Island Institute is a nonprofit organization that serves as a voice for the balanced future of the islands and waters of the Gulf of Maine. For more information, visit the institute’s Web site at http://www.islandinstitute.org.