O P I N I O N

LETTERS

As a lifelong NH resident, I’m proud to call Manchester my hometown. In my work as a housing rights organizer, I’ve learned that increased energy and housing costs are devastating our community.

In Manchester and statewide, I’ve watched homelessness explode in the past four years. I was helpless to intervene when Dubuque Street residents complained that their out-of-state corporate landlord doubled their rent with only 30 days’ notice. On Lake Avenue, an elderly widower on a fixed income has been using blankets for warmth because he can’t afford heating oil.

Clearly, our state is in crisis.

There are five candidates for governor this year, but none among them understands the burden of the cost of living more than Jon Kiper. As a small business owner, he knows firsthand the impact of expensive housing. His customers and employees are a constant reminder.

Raising wages is no longer enough to keep workers in our state, as this benefit would soon be eaten up by inflation. As governor, Jon will work to lower the cost of housing—the biggest driver of inflation—by eliminating restrictive zoning laws, investing in co-op housing, and coordinating a statewide response to homelessness.

I’m proud to endorse Jon Kiper in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, and I’m excited to announce I’m joining his team as Housing Policy Advisor. Jon has the leadership and the lived experience to build a NH in which all of us can afford to live.

Brandon Lemay is a Manchester native and housing organizer working to build tenant associations across the state.