About Us (Who We Are?)
The Sanford Housing Authority was established in 1965 and was fully chartered in 1969 by the Selectmen of the Town of Sanford in an effort to address the lack of affordable housing in our community. It was clear at the time that individuals and families who were living and working here were unable to find affordable housing. Additionally, Sanford’s population was growing, which also increased the demand for housing.
In response to that need, SHA developed Sunset Tower, located on Main Street. Over time, additional projects have been built, including Village View Apartments, East Side Acres, The Maples, and Mayflower Place. Sanford Housing Authority has also purchased and rehabilitated three family homes, which are rented out to Housing Choice Voucher holders.
We are dedicated to supporting our applicants in their search for affordable housing. Despite the fact that affordable housing has become even harder to access, SHA continues to assist people and place them in affordable housing. We provide a case-management type of support that also allows us to connect tenants to other needed resources, such as care providers and other types of support.
At this time, SHA has 228 rental units in its eight properties.
Additionally, we administer approximately 719 Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly known as Section 8). This program is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Renters pay 30–40% of their income toward the rent, and the remainder of the rent is paid by SHA to the landlord.
In total, SHA is currently assisting 1100 individuals and families with affordable housing opportunities. Our waiting list is currently open for all complexes; however, we do have a waiting list at this time.
Letter From the Executive Director
Hello. My name is Diane Small. I have been Executive Director of the Sanford Housing Authority since November 2019.
It was an honor to accept this position. Most of my work life has been centered around helping people find housing opportunities. I worked in the General Assistance Office at Sanford Town Hall for six years, and I was the Chief Operations Officer at York County Shelter Programs for nine years.
I grew up in Sanford, and I have witnessed firsthand the difficulties our community members have faced as jobs disappeared—and yet housing costs have increased. Finding safe and affordable housing is a problem faced by far too many. It affects working people, retired people, and people who cannot work because of disabilities and life challenges.
Nothing is more central to a person’s well-being than having a safe and comfortable place to call home. It is nearly impossible to thrive without it. How can we expect people to look for jobs to take care of basic needs—if they do not have a stable home?
The Sanford Housing Authority works to find housing for people not only in Sanford-Springvale, where we own 228 units—and where we occasionally sell houses we renovate and resell at affordable prices—we also provide housing vouchers to people living in nearby towns.
The problem of affordable housing is not just in our towns. It is nationwide. As such, we work with federal and state agencies. But please know that SHA is right here at 17 School Street, where our focus every day is on helping the people in our communities find a place they can call home.
Please feel free to reach out to me or the SHA staff if you would like to know more about what we offer. I am at [email protected].
