Back in August, Boston.com reported that drones flew over Manchester homeless encampments and dropped poop onto people’s heads. And a couple weeks ago, my kid’s bicycle was stolen by a homeless person—I know this because I saw the dude sleeping out on the Dover Community Trail with the bicycle and caught a picture of him. Also saw him at the 7-11 and took video. My wife almost accidently hit him with the car while he was on the bike. Amazingly, the cops have not found this dude despite our leads and phone calls. A friend of ours was kind enough to give my kid a used bicycle, and my parents kicked in a hundred bucks for repairs. My son was like, “Maybe he needs the transportation. Maybe if we get the bike back, we can give him the one we’ve fixed up.”
From 2021 to 2022, with a near-zero vacancy rate for affordable housing, indicating a deepening crisis, there has been an almost 8% increase in the New Hampshire homeless population.
I think it’s easy to point to drugs and mental health issues as causes of homelessness. And sure, drugs and mental health issues may be a leading factor in creating a homeless situation, I couldn’t imagine living on the street and not developing at least a mental health issue—what does that do to a person?
Revan Bellino, 31, who’s experienced homelessness since he was 16 years old, currently sleeps on the sidewalk outside of the Manchester shelter. “I’m living in an environment where even if you are working three jobs 70 hours a week, doesn’t matter, still can’t afford a place, still end up here,” reported Bianca Beltrain of Boston.com.
61% of the U.S. population lives paycheck to paycheck, with zero savings, and on top of that one-third of the U.S. population rents, you are really only one misstep away from an eviction.
The rental market in New Hampshire is extremely tight, with Realtors advising prospective renters to brace themselves for a challenging search for affordable.
Data reveals that New Hampshire has witnessed the fifth-highest increase in rent nationwide over the past year, with 14% year-over-year surge, despite national stabilization in rental prices. The state currently has less than one percent of rentals available, a situation exacerbated by a growing influx of people moving to New Hampshire, attracted by the prospect of leaving densely populated cites post-COVID-19.
Individuals in their twenties find themselves compelled to move back home due to the prohibitive cost of rent, which threatens to deplete their savings. Parents also observe their adult children struggling to afford living independently given their earnings, which barely cover essential expenses such as car and insurance payments.
House Bill 95, sponsored by Rep. Ellen Read, a Democrat from Newmarket, proposed to allow New Hampshire cities and towns to set their own rent controls on large developments, including determining how quickly rents could rise. The bill aimed to empower municipalities to cap rent increases at a limit of their choosing and to extend the notice period for rent hikes beyond the current state-mandated 30 days.
The bill was designed to apply only to “restricted” properties, excluding single-family homes owned by individuals owning fewer than three homes, rental properties in buildings with less than five units, and homes acquired by banks through foreclosure. Rep. Read emphasized that the bill was a response to the “major, major housing crisis,’ citing instances where tenants were forced to move due to aggressive rent increases following changes in property ownerships.
Over the past year, we’ve reached median rents of $1,764 per month. The counties of Grafton and Hillsborough are experiencing the highest median rents in the state, exceeding $2,000 a month. To afford a two-bedroom unit in these areas, an individual would need to have an annual income of over $80,000.
House Bill 95 was rejected 301-63, with opponents arguing it would negatively impact the housing market by creating a “patchwork of regulations” across the state.
We are, however beginning to see solutions to the New Hampshire housing crisis from municipal initiatives, such as changing zoning laws to accommodate tiny homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
ADUs are not new ideas. Historically, property owners could build as many homes as they wanted on their land, with carriage houses and garages often serving as additional living spaces for workers or being converted into rental homes to generate extra income. With the advent of the suburban single-family home developments post-World War II, the construction of ADUs was largely halted due to restrictive zoning codes that allowed only one home per lot (except, Portsmouth post-WWII saw ADUs as a solution to their quickly burgeoning town even back then).
In the 1980s, interest in ADUs rekindled as cities began looking for ways to offer smaller and more affordable housing options within single-dwelling neighborhoods. The movement aims to revisit and revise the restrictive policies of the past to facilitate the development of ADUs, leveraging them as a tool to address current housing challenges.
But ADUs and tiny houses are not enough. A drip in the bucket, really.
The Mall at Fox Run initiative stands as a testament to the complex New Hampshire dynamics at place. A town of 800 faced the prospect of being overshadowed by the influx of over 2000 new residents, a scenario that raised concerns over the dilution of local voices in the elections. It’s a delicate balance between accommodating the new while preserving the essence of the old.
As of yesterday, there were 1650 homes up for grabs in the state, a figure that encompasses a wide spectrum. And if you are looking for a house in the 200k range, and you have the ability to leverage remote work, think about fixer-uppers in the less populated northern areas. You know, like north of the White Mountains, spitting distance from Canada.
In the midst of these challenges, New Hampshire Housing has stepped in with a range of mortgage programs designed to make homeownership more attainable. Offering benefits such as down payment and closing cost assistance, 30-year fixed rates, low or no down payment requirements, and reduced mortgage insurance options, these programs aim to facilitate a smoother path to homeownership. Moreover, they offer homebuyer education classes and mortgage refinancing for existing homeowners, serving individuals with incomes up to $169,900–and if this is something you think you might want to look into, I work with several local mortgage providers who can help assist you through the New Hampshire Housing program requirements.
(really, I don’t know why the cut-off is not just an even 170k).
*Yes, I know it’s Tuesday. Read here to see why I’m late!
