Avesta Housing, the largest nonprofit affordable housing developer in Northern New England, received a $25,000 gift from the Mascoma Bank Foundation for a new program administered by the Avesta HomeOwnership Center that helps moderate-income households achieve homeownership and housing stability.

The program, called A Path Forward: Homeownership for ME, is designed to create a pathway to homeownerhsip for Maine residents who would otherwise be priced out of the marketplace.

Through the program, Avesta acquires, restores and sells homes at below-market prices to qualifying households through an equitable application process that saves on real estate commissions and provides support to homebuyers throughout the process, according to a news release.