MANCHESTER, N.H. – What happens when there are two good causes but only enough money for one of them? At City Hall on Monday, the answer was wait for more information.
The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Committee on Community Improvement moved to table a request from NeighborWorks to authorize $600,000 in HUD HOME grants to renovate a pair of city-owned properties and transform them into affordable housing, due in large part to a similar request already laid on the table.
That other request, initially tabled by the Committee in August, saw Light of Life Ministries request $458,961 in HUD HOME grants to develop ten units of congregate housing for women and children in crisis at 295 Hanover St.
For the current fiscal year, the city has just over $450,000 in HUD HOME funding, with NeighborWorks’ request anticipating a two-year time-frame.
During the hearing, Aldermen pondered whether each organization could get some of the grant funding or if getting less than what was requested would severely hamper efforts on either project.
Alderman Jim Roy (Ward 4) was concerned with giving the city’s entire HUD HOME allocation for an entire year away to just one organization, as other worthy applications may also seek support in future months.
Alderman Mike Porter (Ward 8) asked if it would be possible to provide some money to both projects, a question that needed more examination outside of the meeting.
“I think both projects are needed for sure and I don’t want to shortchange one over the other,” he said.
Alderman Dan O’Neil (At-Large) had concerns with the second property in the NeighborWorks proposal, 521 Maple St. He questioned if the building on that property, a former firehouse just north of Manchester Central High School, could be feasibly converted into affordable housing beyond its current state, given the limited size of the building and its overall lot.
In materials presented to the Committee, NeighborWorks Executive Director Robert Tourigny noted that 521 Maple St. and the other property, 2 Bethel Court, would be transformed into three-unit residential buildings to be rented out to individuals making at or below 60 percent the average area income. They also offered to purchase the dilapidated properties from the city for a combined $150,000 if the $600,000 in HUD HOME funding could be provided.
Tourigny compared the two projects to 459 Granite St., a formerly city-owned property they renovated using HUD HOME funds from 2018, with four affordable-housing units becoming occupied this month.
Light of Life also submitted additional information on Sept. 25, noting that they had received in-kind donations that they believe would allow the HUD HOME funding to go farther with their project.
Also the NeighborWorks proposal joined the Light of Life proposal on the table, Committee Chairman Kevin Cavanaugh (Ward 1) urged the committee to act quickly on the matter, citing homelessness and housing insecurity as one of the top concerns he has heard from constituents.