BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 14, 2026
Lalli Ventura dreamed of raising her 7-year-old daughter in an area with land to explore. After visiting family near Millinocket, she knew Maine was the perfect place. She saw an ad for new apartments in downtown Millinocket, which the Northern Forest Center recently completed. The family moved into a two-bedroom apartment there on New Year’s Day. Ventura said their new apartment puts them in an ideal location to raise a young child. They are among dozens who rely on the Northern Forest Center’s growing housing portfolio. But the nonprofit never intended to create housing when it was founded in 1997. The center has built 34 homes in rural communities across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. Of those, 19 are in Maine and more are coming. The Northern Forest Center also employs experts who can help rural communities address downtown revitalization, outdoor recreation, and forest conservation.