A note from our Executive Director... |
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As someone whose background is primarily in finance, finding the resources to develop housing projects, as complicated and varied as they are, is probably the easy part. As Jamelle Boule recently reported “But one of the largest obstacles to building new affordable housing, or housing period, is the web of exclusionary restrictions and stringent requirements that add up to onerous burdens on new housing development. When cities require large lawns and ample parking, they drive up the price of new homes. When they zone for single-family housing and ban two-, three- or four-unit homes, they drive up the price of housing. And when cities force builders to go through a byzantine approval process for any new development, they raise the price of housing.” – both State and local, that add up to onerous burdens on new housing development.
Legislatures and community leaders seem to not have the political will necessary to allow for the development of new housing. I recently served on a Housing Task Force, created by the Governor. It was a small, bipartisan group, tasked with coming up with practical legislative solutions in 8 weeks to help foster new housing. All of us knew what we were doing, and we came up with a list of practical ideas that could really make a difference in New Hampshire:
- Expedite the local design and zoning review process and provide increased transparency, accountability and predictability in those processes.
- Provide for a State-Level review of local Land Use regulations for consistency and equity
- Accelerate approvals for smaller developments
- Recommend change to inclusionary zoning
- Enable a community to establish an expedited approval process that meet some stated housing goals
- Require that local policies/review process consider regional housing needs, not just those of the locality
Once presented to the legislators in Concord, what was the response? Study it…they are going to study it. If we are going to deal with the housing shortage, we need to take the issue head on. We need to have the political will necessary to allow for common sense land use laws and rules. Many say this is a local issue, that it cannot be legislated in Concord. They are wrong. Acting on these recommendations would bring uniformity and a sense of common purpose. Please call your representatives. Our voices need to be heard. It does not matter if they have a “R”,”D” or “I” in front of their name. Tell them to get work!
~Mike Claflin
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Lloyd's Hills Welcomes Special Visitors & First Tenants |
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Left to Right: Ben Belanger, Senator Hassan's Office; Brian Bresnahan, Congresswoman Kuster's Office; Michael Claflin, AHEAD; Linda Massamilla, State Representative; Carol Walker, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank;
Chuck Henderson, Senator Shaheen's Office
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On February 19th AHEAD celebrated completion of Community Living at Lloyd’s Hill with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house. We were delighted to welcome a small group of AHEAD supporters, including Chuck Henderson (Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s office), Ben Belanger (Senator Maggie Hassan’s office), Brian Bresnahan (Congresswoman Ann Kuster’s office) and Rob Dapice (New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority) who gave dedication speeches.
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It was a perfect opportunity for people to engage in robust conversations about housing needs and its economic impact on North Country communities. Click HERE to check out our video for Lloyd's Hills.
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AHEAD is very excited to announce that Community Living at Lloyd’s Hills is officially home to 11 new tenants! We are still leasing up units and conducting “open house” tours every Friday. These tours are by appointment only so anyone interested should contact Kris at (603) 444-1377 Ext. 1036 to schedule. |
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Additional COVID Help Now Available |
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The State of New Hampshire received $200 million in federal assistance through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program. Due to the number of concerns raised by delegation, the Treasury issued new guidance which includes permitting the use of funds for other needs in addition to direct rental assistance, such as broadband and help for transitional housing that could assist survivors of domestic violence. The New Hampshire Emergency Rental Assistance Program (NHERAP) is administered by New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority (NHHFA), in collaboration with Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR). NHHFA is working with the five regional Community Action Partnership (CAP) agencies that will manage applications and payments for the program.
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A few words about a dear friend. What struck me the most about Rosemary Heard, the Executive Director of CATCH, was her passion. Everything she did in life was with passion. Whether it was her support of that single mother who needed a safe affordable home to raise her children, a fellow immigrant that needed words of support, the amazing outfits she would wear, to the newest recipe she would prepare; Rosemary did it with a sense of mission. She came to this country early in her professional career and made an impact in real estate. First as an executive in the for profit world, then as an executive in the non-profit world of affordable housing. We became dear friends through our mutual association as members of NeighborWorks America, and together, along with all of our other colleagues, tried to make a difference. She taught me so much about things that I am not…Immigrant, Republican, Irish Catholic, woman, unconditional public servant. She taught me about humanity and why we do what we do every day, trying to make the world a better place. She will be missed, but certainly will not be forgotten! |
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AHEAD's HomeOwnership Center Pilots New Program |
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AHEAD is partnering with the Sullivan County Prison system as well as the Grafton County Drug Court (North Country Health Consortium) to educate individuals and help them get on track financially. Beginning in April, AHEAD will present 8 one-hour virtual workshops to prisoners who are nearing release in Sullivan County as well as those who have selected the Grafton County Drug Court program as an alternative to incarceration. Additionally, AHEAD will provide one-on-one virtual counseling sessions to workshop participants upon their request. As part of this pilot, each participant will receive a copy of their credit report and have the opportunity to review and establish an action plan with AHEAD staff. |
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Moving Forward with an Equity Lens |
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AHEAD established a REDI (Race, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Committee last summer to have open conversations about racism and equality so we could further discuss action steps, policies and resources for the community. This committee has been meeting monthly, formulated an organizational Policy Statement of Equity (you’ve all seen our video) and identified next actions to reinforce our commitment.
In February, AHEAD conducted a 21-Day REDI Challenge with its staff and board members. Each day for 21 days, an email was sent out with one action item for people to complete. Tasks, aimed to take less than 15 minutes per day, included videos and articles touching on the following topics: diversity, inclusion, race, history, fair housing (segregated housing), equity in the workplace, sexism, privilege, lens of children, ageism, stereotypes, various discriminations, implicit bias, racial wealth gap and solution-minded ideas. The content, although sometimes very uncomfortable, was educational and thought-provoking.
It is with great hope that by identifying cultural, economic and societal divides and joining forces proactively to change our parts, AHEAD can strengthen its commitment to community and equity through principles of diversity and inclusion in every facet of our work.
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Development Update: Peeling Village, Woodstock |
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The property has been surveyed, a wetlands survey has been completed, preliminary site plans have been designed and shared with the town of Woodstock and engineering is underway to secure a driveway permit from NH-DOT. AHEAD has received a proposal for design and engineering services for the project and is on track to have schematic design complete and a preliminary Low Income Housing Tax Credit application submitted to NHHFA on June 3rd.
The project is currently designed to include 2 phases, each consisting of an 8-10 unit townhome block and a 20-unit apartment block. Total buildout of the two phases will be 56-60 units.
Pending project feasibly and funding awards a construction start in spring of 2022 is expected with construction of the first phase taking approximately 12-18 months. Second phase construction start will largely depend on lease-up of phase one.
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During the past 12 months, AHEAD has increased its online presence to safely provide the much needed services and amplify accessibility. Our 2021 schedule includes:
Budgeting 101- This one-hour workshop will give participants the tools and motivation to create a budget and stick to it all year long! Participants will receive a free, financial planning workbook designed to help create a successful household budget.
Cracking Credit’s Code- Credit impacts all people regardless of income! Participants will learn the ins and outs of credit reporting and how to maximize their credit score in order to increase their own financial opportunities.
Techno Finance- This one hour workshop will teach participants how to utilize apps and computer programs to manage their money and stay on top of their finances.
Extreme Couponing & Grocery Shopping- The cost of inflation has caused the prices of groceries and other household items to skyrocket! Learn the secrets to saving money at local stores and how to cut grocery cost by 20, 30 or 40%!
Avoiding Financial Scams- Predators are targeting all types of people in a wide variety of ways in order to scam them out of their hard, earned money. Learn how to spot a scam, how to report it to the correct authorities and the steps to take should you fall victim to a financial scam.
Ready to Rent- This workshop will walk participants through the steps to completing a rental application. Learn how credit can impact an application and consumer rights and obligations as a tenant.
There will be two additional workshops tailored to the workshop attendees that will be developed based on the feedback they have provided to AHEAD.
To register for upcoming workshops, simply visit AHEAD's Facebook Page.
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Vaccinating Our Community
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Throughout February and March, AHEAD Property Management has been hosting onsite COVID-19 vaccination clinics at all of its HUD properties. In partnership with Walgreens, North Country Health Consortium and local EMS departments, the vaccine has now been offered to over 325 residents. Everyone has done an exceptional job coordinating & implementing this effort to keep our communities healthy! |
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AHEAD is looking for talented and conscientious volunteer board and committee members to help lead and strengthen our organizational impact.
· Do you care a lot about today’s housing issues and want to help AHEAD provide safe, quality, affordable housing and financial stability to families in our communities?
· Do you have certain skill sets such as: management, finance, marketing, real estate, fundraising, law, etc. you would like to contribute in a philanthropic way?
· Are you a passionate person looking for an easy but significant way to get more involved and serve your community?
· Do you want to learn more about the nonprofit world and gain a greater understanding of your community and its housing and educational needs?
· Would you like to meet new people and work as a team player to address key issues and make decisions to help sustain our mission?
· Are you a service recipient and would like to give back or pay it forward in a meaningful way?
We are currently recruiting for the following:
Board Members (Estimated time commitment per month: 3 Hours)
Governance Committee (Estimated time commitment every other month: 2 Hours)
Finance Committee (Estimated time commitment per quarter: 2 Hours)
Resource Development (Estimated time commitment per quarter: 2 Hours)
HomeOwnership Advisory (Estimated time commitment per quarter: 2 Hours)
If you’d like donate your time, thoughtfulness, and leadership to AHEAD’s board of directors or on any of the listed committees, please call Joy Davis to set up a time to meet. We would love to chat about the opportunity of working together!
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