MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday night, activists gathered outside of City Hall asking for more affordable housing in the Queen City.
Housing Commission Member and Event Organizer Jessica Margeson said that of the 1,522 apartment units currently being built in the city, only 377 are being built that meet U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Administration Affordable Housing guidelines for 80 to 30 percent of Average Median Income, which in Manchester consists of a range of approximately $1,700 to $700 per month.
Margeson said that only her colleagues were only able to find 10 units currently available under $1,500 a month.
“What we’re hoping is Manchester takes a look at this and realizes that the next group of housing that we need to build needs to be between 30 and 80 percent,” said Margeson.
She also advocated for less paperwork requirements given to those seeking housing assistance, as well as remembering that the likely count of homeless individuals in the city is likely above the approximately 500 known by the city given that many individuals live on the cusp of homelessness in vehicles or on couches in the homes of friends, neighbors or family members.
Glenn Ouellette, a frequent commenter at Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen meetings and a Section 8 applicant, spoke regarding the need to hold landlords accountable when they attempt to modify lease agreements without the consent of tenants under the assumption that tenants would could afford to legally fight eviction proceedings if they did not agree to the terms.
“We need to show an example that if you’re going to take money from tenants, you have to follow the rules like everyone else,” he said.
Matei Alexander, Secretary of the New Hampshire Congress of Workers’ Organizations, agreed with Ouellette’s assessment.
“New Hampshire’s housing crisis is a question of greedy landlords, looking to make the most profitable units they can, but whether most people can afford them or not is not their concern, and more often than not we see our government backup greedy landlords while letting affordable housing gather dust,” he said. “We don’t need luxury condo suite, but if we have to have them, at least make them affordable.”
Alexander added that individuals should vote in elections, attend local government meetings and gather together into tenants’ unions to pressure landlords into providing more reasonable rental agreements.
“Take the fight to owners and one day we’ll be strong enough to take the fight anywhere we must,” he said.
Margeson also added that anyone seeking assistance with low-income housing can come to the offices of the Granite State Organizing Project on the second floor of 1045 Elm St. for a meeting held at noon on the second Saturday of each month.