Funds 188 units of affordable housing, re-opens Brook Street women’s shelter, and continues MHRA landlord incentive program
MANCHESTER, NH – This evening, Mayor Joyce Craig and the Board of Aldermen approved $3,851,246 of ARPA and HOME funds for Affordable and Supportive Housing Initiatives.
These include funding the development of 188 units of HUD designated affordable housing for families from 30% – 80% AMI, the continuation of a program with Manchester Housing Redevelopment Authority to incentivize landlords to rent to tenants with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and a partnership with Light of Life Ministries to re-open a women’s shelter at 15 Brook Street for an additional 2-3 years.
“Housing is the number one issue facing our community, and we are once again taking action to ensure our residents have a safe and affordable place to live,” said Mayor Joyce Craig. “The City of Manchester is prioritizing the development of affordable housing for Manchester families and increasing shelter options for our most vulnerable community members. This latest investment will provide affordable housing and shelter for hundreds of residents.”
“That Mayor Craig and the aldermen set aside $3.8 million of federal funds to develop affordable housing shows the City’s commitment to solving the housing crisis,” said Director of Planning and Community Development, Jeffrey Belanger. “The winning projects were selected because they can rapidly provide the types of housing that Manchester needs, like apartments that rent well below market rate, apartments that accept Housing Choice Vouchers, and transitional housing for women and their children.”
The funded projects are as follows:
1. Lincoln Avenue Capital to receive $2,550,000 to assist with the construction of 142 dwelling units that will rent to families earning 60% of area median income (AMI) or below and would be constructed at the site of the former police station and an adjacent lot;
2. Light of Life Ministries to receive $767,517 to operate a women’s shelter at 15 Brook Street for 2-3 years;
§ This shelter will replace the shelter operated over the winter by YWCA and provide up to 16 emergency/transitional shelter beds
1. Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority to receive $300,000 to continue its Housing Applicant/Landlord Partnership Program, which provides financial incentives to landlords to bring their properties up to HUD standards and requires them to be rented to tenants using the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program for a minimum of 3 years;
· This is a continuation of a program originally funded through the ARPA funds allocated in 2021. To date, the program has provided housing to 393 low and very low income families and individuals with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
1. Neighborworks Southern New Hampshire to receive $236,729 to assist with the construction of 45 dwelling units that will rent to families earning 30%, 50%, 60%, and 80% of AMI and will be constructed on the City-Owned Pearl Street Parking Lot. Neighborworks is the only applicant for the RFP that is a Community Housing Development Organization, and was therefore the only applicant eligible to receive HOME funding, pursuant to HUD regulations.
These projects are just the latest investment by Mayor Joyce Craig and the City of Manchester in developing housing that is affordable and increasing shelter options for individuals experiencing homelessness. Last month, the City established a Department of Housing Stability and opened their Homeless Engagement Center to act as a service-enriched hub that offers peer support, housing navigation, mental health, substance misuse programs, employment resources, and among other services to reduce barriers to housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. Later this month, the National Alliance to End Homelessness will conduct a system design clinic to analyze current available services within the community.