NH Delegation Announces More Than $39.5 Million to Support Affordable Housing for Granite Staters

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced that New Hampshire, as well as housing authorities and agencies throughout the state, will receive $39,568,585 in federal funding allocated as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support affordable housing for vulnerable Granite Staters during the COVID-19 crisis. Of these funds:

• $19,324,907 was awarded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to the state of New Hampshire, which can be used to expand community health facilities, child care centers, food banks and senior services, as well as support eviction prevention, rental deposit assistance and homelessness prevention programs.
• The city of Rochester received an additional $404,214 in CDBG funding.
• $8,938,121 was awarded to the state of New Hampshire through the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, which provides funding to help homeless people quickly regain permanent housing.
• The city of Manchester received an additional $1,810,236 in ESG funding.
• $3,839,240 was awarded to New Hampshire through the HOME program, which provides grants to states to help build, buy and rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income households
• $3,000,000 was awarded to New Hampshire through the Housing Trust Fund, which provides grants to states to produce and preserve affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households.
• $2,251,867 was awarded to housing authorities and agencies throughout the state via the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which is used to help low-income, disabled and elderly people afford safe and decent housing in the private market.

Funding in this announcement comes in addition to $11.7 million in federal funding that was awarded in April to assist New Hampshire’s vulnerable homeless population and to address other local needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as $3.6 million in CARES Act funds the New Hampshire congressional delegation announced in May to support affordable housing for Granite Staters impacted by this pandemic.

“With the expiration of New Hampshire’s eviction moratorium, many vulnerable Granite Staters, including seniors, people with disabilities and working families, risk losing their homes with nowhere to go. Homelessness is a serious problem that has grown exponentially worse from the fallout of COVID-19,” said Senator Shaheen. “These federal funds help bolster and expand access to affordable housing in regions throughout our state. While I am pleased that these federal grants have been awarded, so much more must be done in order to protect those most at risk in our society and prevent the looming foreclosure and eviction crisis our nation faces. Congress must provide housing assistance and protections for vulnerable families, and I will do everything in my power to ensure this priority is met in any potential COVID-19 relief package.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the housing crisis in New Hampshire and across the country, and with the expiration of the eviction moratorium, many Granite Staters, including the elderly and those who experience disabilities, are in danger of losing their homes,” said Senator Hassan. “This federal funding will help support people whose housing has been jeopardized by the COVID-19 pandemic, and I will keep pushing to include rent relief in the next COVID-19 response legislation.”

“No one should have to worry about losing their home and not having a safe place to live, especially during a pandemic, but that is the grim reality many Granite Staters face,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “COVID-19 has worsened the housing crisis, and with the expiration of New Hampshire’s eviction moratorium, many families are struggling. This federal funding will improve access to affordable housing in our state and help those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Congress must take further action to prevent evictions and foreclosures, and I will continue working to ensure those at risk of losing their housing — especially vulnerable Granite Staters — have the resources and support they need to get through the COVID-19 crisis.”

 “As many families across New Hampshire struggle to make ends meet, this additional federal support for affordable housing could not have come at a more important time,” said Congressman Pappas. “This additional CARES Act funding will help meet the housing needs of New Hampshire families, and I will continue to work alongside the rest of the federal delegation to address our state’s urgent housing challenges.”

Breakdown of HUD housing grants

New Hampshire housing authorities and agencies will receive a total of $39,568,585 through grants administered by HUD. Here is a breakdown of how HUD will award the funds:

Grant	Grantee	Amount
Community Development Block Grant	New Hampshire	$19,324,907
Community Development Block Grant	Rochester	$404,214
Emergency Solutions Grant	New Hampshire	$8,938,121
Emergency Solutions Grant	Manchester	$1,810,236
HOME Program Grant	New Hampshire	$3,839,240
Housing Trust Fund	New Hampshire	$3,000,000
Housing Choice Voucher Program Grant	Various	$2,251,867
	TOTAL	$39,568,585.00

Breakdown of HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program Grants for NH Housing Authorities and Agencies

Recipient Name	City	Amount
New Hampshire Housing Finance Agency	Bedford	$815,425
Berlin Housing Authority	Berlin	$43,251
Lancaster Housing Authority	Berlin	$8,905
Northumberland Housing Authority	Berlin	$2,543
Claremont Housing Authority	Claremont	$23,617
Concord Housing Authority	Concord	$61,856
Derry Housing & Redevelopment Authority	Derry	$26,765
Dover Housing Authority	Dover	$118,986
Exeter Housing Authority	Exeter	$38,971
Keene Housing	Keene	$183,006
Laconia Housing & Redevelopment Authority	Laconia	$80,869
Manchester Housing  & Redevelopment Authority	Manchester	$420,405
Nashua Housing Authority	Nashua	$193,845
Harbor Homes, Inc.	Nashua	$24,605
Housing Authority of the Town of Newmarket	Newmarket	$13,606
Portsmouth Housing Authority	Portsmouth	$85,090
Housing Authority of the City of Rochester NH	Rochester	$38,279
Somersworth Housing Authority	Somersworth	$39,893
Lebanon Housing Authority	West Lebanon	$31,950
	TOTAL	$2,251,867.00

 

The New Hampshire Congressional delegation have worked to protect Granite State homeowners and renters left vulnerable by the public health emergency. Last month, Shaheen sent a letter to HUD, calling on the agency to expedite the release of $4 billion of CARES Act funding for emergency housing. Shaheen also recently sent a bipartisan letter with Senator Hassan to Senate leadership urging a fix for a “maximum allotment” provision that limits the amount of CARES Act relief funds that can be awarded to smaller states through the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program. These funds are used by Community Action Programs (CAPs) to help combat homelessness and address housing needs. Shaheen also called on HUD to address concerns she heard from New Hampshire housing officials and advocates earlier this month regarding CDBG-CV funding and guidance. In addition, Shaheen and Hassan are cosponsors of the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act of 2020, legislation that would establish an Emergency Rental Assistance program to provide $100 billion in emergency rental assistance to help families and individuals pay their rent and remain housed during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

 

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