NH Delegation Welcomes More Than $2 Million to Support Infrastructure Updates at Colebrook Housing Community
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) today welcomed $2,084,000 heading to Colebrook Homeowners Cooperative (CHC), a resident-owned manufactured housing community. This grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide key upgrades to water, sewer, storm water and utility infrastructure.
Specifically, the funding will address aging infrastructure to lower water usage, improve health and safety, strengthen weather resilience and beautify the community. Senator Shaheen advocated for this funding through her role as a senior appropriator. Senator Hassan has also successfully advocated for funding for the Rural Business Development Grant program.
A breakdown of the funding includes:
- $1,422,000 Water & Waste Disposal Grant
- $187,000 Community Facilities Loan
- $475,000 Water & Waste Disposal Loan
“Affordable housing continues to be a top concern for rural Granite Staters, and manufactured housing is a key way to address housing needs. It’s essential that we invest in reliable, sustainable infrastructure as the bedrock of our housing, and I’m thrilled to have helped secure over $2 million to invest in Colebrook Homeowners Cooperative. From updating aging infrastructure to lowering utility costs and beautifying the neighborhood, this funding will make a real difference for residents in this Colebrook neighborhood,” said Senator Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Ensuring all Granite Staters – regardless of zip code – have a safe, secure place to call home will continue to be a priority for me as I help secure funding for our state, and it’s great to see this money in action.”
“I am glad that Colebrook Homeowner’s Cooperative is receiving long-needed federal funding we worked to secure to upgrade its water infrastructure and storm sewage system, as well as beautify its neighborhood,” said Senator Hassan. “Investments like these are critical to improving housing options for Granite Staters, and I will continue working to increase quality housing in our state.”
“Ensuring New Hampshire has safe and convenient affordable housing options is key to sustaining a diverse workforce and safeguarding our state’s continued economic growth,” said Representative Kuster. “I’m thrilled to see these federal funds heading to the Colebrook Homeowners Cooperative to upgrade the utility infrastructure and cut costs for the community while improving safety. I will continue working to expand access to affordable housing in the Granite State and strengthen our workforce for generations to come.”
“Every Granite Stater deserves access to quality, affordable housing with safe, modern water infrastructure,” said Representative Pappas. “I’m pleased to see these funds coming to the Colebrook Homeowners Cooperative to make important water infrastructure improvements and increase resiliency. I’ll keep fighting to make sure all Granite State families have a safe place to live.”
“Our water pipes were so old and leaking so badly that we are losing more than 90% of the water coming into our system. This loan and grant package will save us,” said Dawn Cameron, volunteer President of the Colebrook Homeowners Cooperative.
Colebrook Homeowners Cooperative (CHC) provides 47 total lots of affordable manufactured housing, which help attract and house the local workforce. This grant will finance projects like combined water, sewer, storm water and utility infrastructure upgrades and help reduce pollution and health hazards stemming from leaks and corrosion in the electric system. The updates will lower utility costs for residents and install new weather-safe conduits to improve safety. The location will also add new common space through street scaping and green infrastructure to beautify the neighborhood. Additional funds for the electric infrastructure project are provided by New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority with Community Development Block Grant funds.
Shaheen and Hassan have fought to protect New Hampshire homeowners and renters left vulnerable by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Shaheen and Hassan-backed American Rescue Plan, passed in March 2021, included nearly $50 billion for housing, including support for vulnerable renters and homeowners. This is in addition to the emergency COVID-19 relief legislation, supported by Shaheen and Hassan and signed into law in December 2020, which provided $25 billion in emergency rental assistance.
As a senior member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Shaheen helped secure investments in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure for New Hampshire in the FY2022 government funding bill that was recently signed into law. Congress provided $1.638 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRFs) and $1.126 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund in the bill. This funding is in addition to historic investments in water infrastructure provided through the bipartisan infrastructure law, which Shaheen led negotiations around. Shaheen previously announced New Hampshire will receive more than $72 million in federal funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve New Hampshire’s drinking water and wastewater systems, including addressing PFAS and lead in Granite State water supplies. As a lead negotiator of the water provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure law, Shaheen successfully secured $10 billion to address PFAS contamination around the country.
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