Who's building these homes.
Maine Cooperative Development Partners is a Portland real-estate development firm founded in 2020, specializing in limited-equity co-ops and price-restricted condos so working families can own a home — and stay.
We started Maine Cooperative Development Partners in 2020 to create a replicable, permanently-affordable homeownership model — so people of all ages, backgrounds, and incomes can enjoy their homes, nature, and their neighbors, and build financial stability and wealth over time. All three partners live in Portland and are passionate about making their communities better places for every resident.
Grounding principles
Affordable
A balanced mix of households earning roughly $50,000–$150,000 (60–100% AMI), with permanent affordability built in.
Green
Healthy, efficient spaces designed for low energy use and optimized for solar.
Walkable
Safe for children to play; walkable to community spaces, schools, and nature.
Transit-oriented
On and near transit lines, close to jobs and downtown.
Forest & trails
Working with conservation and recreation groups to protect the land around each development.
Owned
Real ownership that builds equity — and, through resale limits, stays affordable for the next family who needs it.
The MCDP partners
Liz Trice
Liz builds innovative partnerships across real estate, economic development, entrepreneurship, and public health. She holds a Master's in Public Policy & Management with a certificate in Community Planning & Development from USM's Muskie School. In Portland she has secured zone changes, led public-engagement processes with neighbors and businesses, and directed the design of shared spaces; her work includes award-winning research on the barriers keeping people who live alone from owning, and leading the redesign of Bramhall Square. Her livability-and-ecology projects won two of three awards in the 2019 Portland Society of Architecture Complete City Competition. She trained as a cohousing developer and Passive House Design Consultant and has visited 20+ cohousing developments across the U.S.
Brian Eng
Brian is a real-estate investor who has worked on commercial projects across Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maine. He has been a principal on developments of 200+ units, is a principal redeveloping the MERC site in Biddeford, and has redeveloped several smaller Portland properties. He brings deep expertise in financials, fundraising, advocacy, and public speaking. He grew up in a co-op in New York City and sits on the board of UHAB, which manages 20,000+ units of cooperative housing in New York. He is a co-founder of Clay Cove Capital.
Matthew Peters
Matt has helped complete 20+ new-construction, major-rehab, and acquisition deals. He spent eight years at Avesta Housing — one of Northern New England's largest non-profit housing developers — project-managing developments, building out the Asset Management department, and ultimately serving as VP of Real Estate Services overseeing the entire development and acquisitions pipeline. Since 2018 he has consulted for housing authorities, non-profits, and CDFIs across Maine on acquisition, ground-up development, and underwriting. He is Executive Director of the Freeport Housing Trust, holds a Master's in Urban Planning from the University of Washington, and is a LEED Accredited Professional with Spectrum C3P and Rural Development STAR certifications.
The Dougherty Commons story
City chooses the site
Portland selects the Douglass Street parcel for redevelopment as mixed rental + ownership homes.
MCDP + Szanton selected
The City picks the Maine Cooperative Development Partners / Szanton Company proposal.
Approvals
Planning board approval (May 2022), updated April 2023.
Phase 1 complete
63 affordable apartments (The Szanton Company) delivered.
Phase 2 complete
20 condos (1 & 3BR) built and sold — priced $268,800 / $325,000.
Phase 3 reservations
42 condos in four buildings (1/2/3BR, first-floor step-free homes, two price tiers) — this release — open for reservations.
Construction decision
Presales plus a pending $1M Affordable Housing Program grant confirm financing; the modular build starts around January 2027.
Phase 3 move-in
An eight-month modular build → late summer / fall 2027 occupancy.
The agents in your corner
Buying an income-restricted home has a lot of moving parts. These are the two people from Home Sweet Maine who guide you through every one of them — from your very first question to the keys in your hand. No pressure, no jargon, no question too small.
Michael Hamilton
Michael bought his first home at 24 and, with no bankroll and no investor behind him, built his own portfolio of single-family, multi-family, and commercial property from scratch. A father of five, he founded Hello Property Solutions to manage around 70 units — so he knows this business from every side: buyer, owner, landlord, and broker.
For you, that means an agent who has personally done what you're about to do, and who has helped people at every level — from first-time buyers taking a nervous first step to seasoned investors — get to the closing table. He runs Home Sweet Maine with the same patience and care he'd want for his own family.
Richard Reynolds
Richard has run businesses since he was 23 — social-media marketing, live entertainment, even an escape room — so clear communication and untangling problems are second nature. Now 35 and in real estate full-time, he focuses on multifamily and commercial deals and makes educational content that takes the mystery out of buying a home.
For you, that means an agent who turns a confusing process into plain, doable steps, answers every question without the jargon, and makes sure nothing slips through the cracks — so owning a home feels possible, not scary.
Partners & funders
