MANCHESTER, N.H. – Limited housing options remain one of the biggest issues for Granite Staters and on Wednesday, Oct. 22, a group of local activists and state legislators gathered at the offices of the Granite State Organizing Project on Elm Street to discuss the issue.
Those assembled at the meeting were united in their frustration at the passage of HB 60, a piece of legislation signed into law in August that allows landlords to terminate tenancy at the end of a lease term at will, something Granite State Organizing Project Director Sarah Jane Knoy described as “paving the way to homelessness.”
Jessica Margeson, who serves on the Manchester Housing Commission and advocates on behalf of tenants as part of the Granite State Organizing Project, voiced concern about the increase in evictions caused by the legislation making it harder for individuals to find new housing as many landlords will not consider tenants who have evictions on their record.
In addition to HB 60, Margeson voiced frustration with the discontinuation of resources and policies provided during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed people to stay in their homes.
Democratic State Senator and Manchester Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long said one of the key problems comes from the Republican majority in state legislation, indicating that their aversion to any regulation such as in the case of HB 60 is key to many New Hampshire residents on the verge of homelessness finding themselves unable obtain housing.
Long also noted the short-sidedness of elected officials who oppose initiatives to help the homeless, citing recent discussion over the 39 Beech St. Shelter where some elected officials voiced frustration over the shelter’s costs but overlooked the $150,000 per month that the city would be obligated to pay if it had not developed a replacement strategy for its most medically fragile residents. This, he says, comes from the fact that those elected officials are not hearing the full story on the ground.
“This is what we’re fighting against,” said Long. “We’re fighting against people who are saying they’re doing a lot of good, but those people aren’t getting the phone calls.”
Long also expressed frustration with the impact that a lack of housing could have on Manchester’s ability to maintain its nascent biofabrication industries in the Millyard, the limited benefit seen by small business owners from the Republican cuts in taxes that have left the state in a budget crunch and the shortage of affordable housing near employment keeping young people like his son from staying in New Hampshire.
Long also wondered if some apartment units offering initial months of free rent where a sign that the market was finally beginning to realize that rents are too high for many Granite Staters, but State Representative Laura Telerski (D-Nashua) said that was not the case after visiting one such facility with one of her grown children, noting that things like utilities and parking were not covered. Ultimately, she believed that any benefits or lowered costs from lower taxes and eliminated state programs are not benefiting younger residents that will comprise New Hampshire’s future workforce.
“When (Republicans) talk about cutting taxes, they’re talking about cutting taxes for corporations or the ultra-wealthy,” she said. “When (Democrats) talk about cutting taxes, we’re talking about cutting taxes for working families and investing in the policies that are actually going to be solutions.”
Various solutions were offered, such as Margeson’s proposal to create more anti-discrimination housing laws and introduce rent control, the proposal by State Senator Rebecca Perkins-Kwoka (D-Portsmouth) to fully fund affordable housing trust funds that would provide financial benefits to developers that build affordable housing or supporting the Housing Champions program she helped sponsor, and Knoy’s support for inclusionary zoning.
Knoy also requested that the elected officials bring the stories shared by Margeson and others during the meeting about people struggling to pay their rent to the forefront, even though all elected officials in attendance were Democrats and thus in the minority in Concord at this time.
“I still don’t feel like I hear a strong voice speaking up for low-income people and the affordable housing we need, so I’d love to ask you all to speak louder,” she said.