Ruais touts accomplishments, upcoming initiatives, during State of City address

MANCHESTER, NH – He double-checked his phone app and confirmed that he has 691 days left in his term, but Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais does not want to wait to get things done.

During the Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the City Address and subsequent one-on-one discussion with Scott Spradling at the Factory on Willow, Ruais built upon points made during his campaign last year and stated his belief that Manchester residents will begin to see progress soon and significant progress by the end of the year.

Homelessness was noted as the top issue on his agenda, stating that he would help those who seek it, but would also actively enforce any ordinances that could prevent people from sleeping on sidewalks and also pursue an ordinance banning homeless camps depending on the possible appeal later this year of the Martin v. Boise ruling.

“We cannot tolerate disorder or dysfunction on our streets. And on a human level, we cannot tolerate the suffering we are seeing either,” he said. “For those in Manchester who want and need help, we will work with you to break the cycle in which you find yourself. But do not mistake our compassion and empathy for indifference to the law: understand we will have no patience for lawlessness.”

Ruais also said he is seeking to create “homeless courts” in Manchester after confirming with Concord that new statute would not be required. These courts, which would take place within shelters with volunteer judges, are designed to help address small crimes while also giving support to homeless individuals who are struggling to break out of the cycle of homelessness due to misdemeanor charges posed in regular courts.

Homeless individuals struggling with substance abuse were also a focus for Ruais, noting that the city will seek to create a documented overdose prevention strategy and will seek higher standards and consistency for facilities that treat individuals in recovery. He also said he will ask Concord to strengthen municipal welfare offices elsewhere in the state to reduce the burden on Manchester while seeking additional grants from the state for approximately $5 million for the Farnum Center and Waypoint in the next few months in addition to nearly $2 million in recent grants for affordable housing projects.

For those who still have homes but are struggling to pay rent, Ruais noted initiatives designed at increasing housing stock centered upon an overhaul of the city’s zoning ordinances expected this spring such as adjusting square footage requirements and making it easier to build accessory dwelling units. He also said that the Department of Water Works and Tax Collection have identified 14 vacant city-owned properties that could be used to develop housing.

Other initiatives already underway include working with Manchester’s legislative delegation on PR bail reform progress, expansion of Manchester’s Continuum of Care among others as he called on Manchester residents to have pride in their city and also showered praise on the efforts of several city departments such as the police department’s work increasing patrols downtown and the Economic Development Office’s work reaching out to new and existing businesses in town.

“Manchester isn’t Manchganistan or Manch Vegas, and it does a grave disservice to our great city to use that language. We are blessed to live in this city and we are blessed to call Manchester home,” he said. “I am not naïve to the challenges we have, but the more I meet with people, the more I believe we can get things done. Being cynical is a choice. Being positive is a choice. And I choose to be positive.”

Ruais also discussed with Spradling potential challenges, particularly what he expects to be a difficult budget season. Ruais also praised the work of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport Ted Kitchens, but said that effort must be made to encourage more New Hampshire residents to use the airport, which in turn would attract more airlines to the airport and become a driver for new businesses.

Ruais’ Proposed Initiatives:

1. Strengthen Ordinances– Directed the City Solicitor to review all ordinances relating to congregating, sitting, sleeping or lying on city streets so that we can identify areas we can strengthen. We will move with all available haste to strengthen our ordinances.
2. Banning Camping- The Supreme Court is set to take up this issue, with a ruling coming this summer. If this ruling is overturned, Manchester will move to outlaw camping in our city.
3. Recovery Residences-
   1. Lobby the state to develop a licensing and certification process to ensure the highest operational standards. Creating this process will provide consistency and regulatory understanding, which will reduce the imperative of these residences being created in, and people being sent to, Manchester.
   2. Call on all recovery residences in the City of Manchester to become certified through the New Hampshire Coalition of Recovery Residences which is based on a national standard set by the National Association of Recovery Residences.
4. Zoning Ordinance to Promote Housing Construction –
   1. Building on the success of last year’s ADU ordinance modification, we now propose further changes that would eliminate a Planning Board review entirely, making it easier for homeowners to construct various types of ADUs on their properties. The requirements regarding the ADU structure will still be in place, they will be outlined in the ordinance; this proposal simply aims to expedite the process, recognizing the importance of swift action to address our city’s housing needs. 
   2. Currently, our Zoning Ordinance imposes minimum lot sizes for the construction of up to three dwelling units per property, with additional square-footage requirements for each unit beyond three. Our proposed change seeks to permit an additional unit (four) within the same lot size that was previously limited to three.
5. Creation of Homeless Courts– Those who are experiencing homelessness, may have misdemeanor criminal quality of life charges, or citations, making it difficult to get a job, a license or a roof over their head. Thus, it will be difficult to break the cycle of homelessness. Homeless courts are special court sessions held in local shelters or community sites with a volunteer judge, typically taking a few hours per month at no cost. This meets the person where they are, and is an effective way to address crime, and divert the individual into a better life, thus breaking the cycle they are currently trapped within. 
6. Opioid Rewrite– The City of Manchester is undertaking a crucial initiative – the update of our “2016 City of Manchester: Response to the Opioid Crisis” with the unveiling of the “2024 City of Manchester Overdose Prevention Strategy.” This strategy is not merely a document; it is a comprehensive blueprint that reflects our collective determination to address the opioid epidemic head-on. Those experiencing homelessness accounted for nearly half of all overdoses last year, addiction is a major contributing factor. Therefore, addressing addiction has to be a key component to address the homeless crisis.
7. Leveraging City Properties to Promote More Housing- The Department of Water Works and the Tax Collector identified suitable city-owned land that can be made available for development. The Department of Water Works has already deemed a parcel of land as surplus and the Board of Mayor and Alderman will take this up shortly. Our Tax Collector and Assessor have identified 14 vacant lots. Our goal is to work with reputable developers, and community partners, who share our commitment to creating housing options that cater to the diverse needs of our community. The process will involve community input, and we will prioritize developments that align with our values and meet the needs of our residents.
8. State Grants- We are actively working with the Governor’s Office and the Legislature to secure an appropriation of $5.23 million for the Farnum and Waypoint projects over the next few months. This additional funding will have a dramatic impact on the sustainability of these programs, which do such great work in our community. 

 Initiatives Underway:

1. Bail Reform– January 3^rd– Press Conference with Aldermen and state legislators in Concord to urge the legislature to vote for the bail reform bills that were on their docket. These passed. Continue to work with the Governor and legislature on future measures as we have more work to do on this issue.  
2. NH Council on Housing Stability -One of three mayors in the state to have a position on the council which allows us to leverage collective efforts and pool resources to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those experiencing homelessness. This position will also allow for greater communication and collaboration with other communities to help them address their challenges without having to send those in need to our city. 
3. Continuum of Care– Expanded the Manchester Continuum of Care (CoC) by adding 15 members. This move is a crucial first step towards fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. it is a commitment to bringing together our community partners, stakeholders, and decision-makers to end homelessness in our city. The CoC will vote next month on moving forward with this process and beginning transition steps.
4. Anti-Stigma Campaign– The city was chosen as one of one hundred cities nationally to participate in an Anti-Stigma Initiative. It is designed to increase awareness about addiction, improve helping behaviors towards those with SUD, and offer learning opportunities about evidence-based treatment options, signs and symptoms of addiction, and effective engagement strategies. This initiative is not just about combating addiction; it is about addressing one of the root causes of homelessness, demonstrating our commitment to building a healthier and more compassionate community.
5. City Grants– Recently the city received grants totaling $1.65 million, dedicated to two crucial affordable housing projects that are poised to create 142 affordable housing units. These initiatives mark substantial progress in our mission to address the critical need for affordable housing in Manchester.

A copy of the mayor’s full prepared remarks is below: