MANCHESTER, NH – The Board of Aldermen are scheduled to review a proposal from Mayor Jay Ruais to extend operations at 39 Beech Street and launch a 20-bed “high barrier” shelter for homeless individuals who are also older and/or medically fragile.
The two-phase funding package would also cover winter warming operations and doubling sober-bed capacity at the 1269 Cafe.
In a four-page letter included in the packet for the scheduled Aug. 5 Board of Aldermen meeting, Ruais outlined the proposal [see letter below]. The new shelter would open April 1 at a new location and operate for 12 months.
“This meets the goals I have heard expressed by this Board, to close 39 Beech Street, while also caring for the homeless who are most vulnerable in our community, in a higher barrier setting, while providing for winter fatality prevention,” wrote Ruais.
Rent for the shelter would be reduced from $30,000 per month to $6,000 per month.
The phased 19-month plan addresses a huge gap in homeless shelter capacity – the medically fragile and elderly – while providing for a warming location during the winter months to prevent loss of life, wrote Ruais.
According to the memo, 39 Beech Street provides 40 emergency beds and serves an average of 40-50 unique people during the day at the Engagement Center, offering wraparound services that advance residents along the continuum of care.
Ruais offered the following “results” from the wrap-around service offerings:
- 55 people have been housed
- 47 vital documents received
- 38 people entered detox
- 17 people have obtained employment
As it stands now funding is set to lapse on September 1, at which time Ruais estimates approximately 80-90 people – including 10-15 medically fragile residents – would be turned out to the streets with no plan. will return to the streets with no plan of care,
This would trigger “costly hotel placements and emergency responses,” wrote Ruais.
The current medically-fragile demographic consists of the following:
- 21 people with chronic health conditions
- 20 people with a physical disability
- 8 people using wheelchairs (2 due to leg amputations)
- 5 who are seniors (65+)
- 1 utilizing a walker, and 2 relying on oxygen 24/7
Ruais said he has identified 70 facilities across the state that assist in these types of cases.
“At last check, there was not a single open bed in the State of New Hampshire and the average wait time is 8-l2 months. We cannot allow for these individuals to be left on the street in one month’s time,” wrote Ruais.
Ruais cited RSA 165 which requires the city to provide shelter, if necessary, via hotel, to those who meet certain criteria.
“Crucially, keeping the 39 Beech Shelter open until March 31st, 2026, avoids approximately $121,000 per month in potential hotel expenditures, delivering far greater impact at a fraction of crisis-response costs while preserving essential shelter capacity for Manchester’s most vulnerable residents,” wrote Ruais.
“Additionally, maintaining this shelter through the winter months will avoid the logistical catastrophe that would occur if the Manchester Fire Department had to decentralize our winter warming approach to multiple locations around the City,” Ruais wrote.
The planned $375,000 expenditure from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) will leave a balance of $759,325.27 in the account, excluding the proceeds realized from two surplus properties recently approved for sale, which, at asking price, would add approximately $1,360,000 to the Fund.
To implement the plan Ruais is asking the board to:
- Grant authority for the mayor to execute two six-month contracts, one with East Coast Evolution Leadership, and one with 39 Beech Street, running through the end of February 2026, with an optional one-month extension. This meets the additional request of the Board to exit the 39 Beech Street Shelter as quickly as possible. Please recognize that there will be fit-up costs for this new location that will be resolved and brought to the Board for consideration
- Approve the concept of this 19-month plan, with votes to follow at the September 2, 2025, Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting
- Allocate $50,000 to 1269 Cafe to double its transitional-living units from 12 to 24. This no-cost-high-barrier housing supports sober men who commit to daily chores, volunteer service in the cafe, and random drug testing. Relapses are met with facilitated rehab placement, and graduates may re-enter upon successful program completion. 1269 Cafe, funded entirely by private donors, serves more than 100 individuals six days a week. With the reduction in shelter capacity from 40 to 20, these additional transitional beds, and the work we will undertake over the next seven months to place those in need into housing will close the gap for those impacted by the closing of 39 Beech Street.
If approved during the Aug. 5, 2025, meeting, the City Clerk will prepare the necessary resolutions and budget authorizations for passage at the September 2, 2025, meeting.
The full letter from Ruais is below: