Harbor Care's Integrated Approach to Housing Stability
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harbor Care housed 57 chronically homeless individuals in Nashua in 2020, with only 12 remaining at the end of the year. Having helped reduce chronic homelessness in Nashua by 85% over the past 10 years, Harbor Care is closer than it has ever been to effectively ending chronic homelessness in the area. To achieve this goal and increase the supply of available affordable apartments, Harbor Care recently purchased a nine-unit multi-family apartment complex, which now houses 9 formerly chronically homeless households.
Rental prices in Nashua outstrip Manchester and Portsmouth for most units.
As most people know, real estate prices have been skyrocketing in the past few years in New Hampshire. Fair Market Data shows that Nashua’s rent is much higher than the state average. For studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom apartments Nashua’s rental costs outstrip Manchester and even Portsmouth. To make things worse, real estate in New Hampshire is more expensive than in 33 other states.
The reason for this is that vacancy rates are at all-time lows. The Union Leader reports that housing trends in Nashua are creating significant financial hardships for local families. Sarah Marchant, City of Nashua’s Community Development Director, explains that a healthy rental market is one in which five percent of the housing is open and ready for families to move in. Nashua has been far below that rate for more than 20 years – having only twice made it to a high of 2.5% vacancy in that time -- and most of these years it was far below. “At this point in time we are well below a one percent vacancy rate, which is an unprecedented situation,” she said. “There is essentially no housing available on the market.”
Celebrating Harbor Care’s newest affordable rental purchase are (L to R): COO Henry Ochs, Ending Homelessness Fund supporters Bob and Hillary Keating and Sarah Widhu, resident Malissa holding Boxer, Director of Mainstream Housing Sharon Brodeur, CEO Peter Kelleher, and Homeless Outreach Program Manager Jessica Lorento.
Marchant went on to say that one of the most concerning issues is that nearly half of Nashua’s renters are spending more than 30% of their monthly income on housing costs. Housing costs for renters is generally counted as rent, plus utilities. The 30% guideline applies to homeowners as well, and should include their mortgage, mortgage interest, property taxes and maintenance. For homeowners in Nashua, about 25% are spending more than 30% of their monthly income on housing. Since 1981 the U.S. Government has considered those paying 30% or more of their income for housing as, “cost burdened.” Those paying over 50% are considered, “severely cost burdened.” It’s clear that a large portion of Nashua residents are under considerable economic strain just keeping a roof over their heads.
In this difficult housing landscape, in which even those with comfortable incomes can struggle, those in our community who are on a fixed income or low income cannot compete. More and more of our neighbors are being pushed into homelessness. The Concord Monitor reports that “the number of homeless people was already growing fast before the pandemic, and now the problem has grown larger than we know.”
In the same article, New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness Director Stephanie Savard said, though the COVID-19 pandemic drove much of the rise in homelessness in our state, other contributing factors such as lack of affordable housing, unemployment, high eviction rates and the number of people for whom rent represents more than half of their income set the stage for a housing disaster. “We were riding a wave of that perfect storm for many years,” she said. “With the pandemic, we hit a tidal wave.”
Malissa is delighted she finally has a home, at a rent she can afford!
Yet in 2020, in the midst of this tidal wave, Harbor Care pledged to effectively end chronic homelessness in Greater Nashua. Chronic homelessness is the most difficult to remedy, as many in this population have long or repeated histories of homelessness, often due to untreated or undertreated behavioral or physical disabilities. Since Harbor Care’s announcement in late 2020, it has reduced the number of chronically homeless individuals and families in Nashua by 83%. Some of these newly-housed clients include Malissa with her tiny dog Boxer; and Maria, whose goal was to escape homelessness so she could reunite with her young daughter.
In their pursuit of ending chronic homelessness in Nashua, staff from Harbor Care’s Homeless Outreach Program search the community, seeking out people who are living unsheltered and undetected in our midst as the rest of us go about our day. For example, Mike was living beneath the Broad Street Overpass Bridge in Nashua, until Harbor Care staff first gave him hope, and then guided him along the path to housing.
Mike and friend Gina relax in his new home.
Mike needed a lot of help; he didn’t have photo identification, which made it impossible for him to qualify for one of the Mainstream Housing vouchers the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allotted to Harbor Care. Once Harbor Care staff helped him acquire two forms of ID, he was qualified to take one of the Housing Choice Vouchers, and received housing through one of Harbor Care’s apartments that was recently converted to serve as permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Although most clients move from homelessness to housing in this way, the virtual lack of vacancies in the Nashua market has made this increasingly difficult.
Malissa’s Emotional Support Dog, Boxer, enjoys an early Spring day.
Clearly, Nashua needs new units of affordable housing. This is why Harbor Care stepped in to purchase its newest property on 12 Auburn Street. Malissa, for instance, was unable to find housing in Nashua, even with a housing voucher in hand, until 12 Auburn Street opened its doors. She and Boxer now enjoy a safe, clean rental that is within Malissa’s budget.
Although Harbor Care owns its own stock of quality apartments in the City, purchasing housing units such as this one is Harbor Care’s way of helping keep Nashua affordable for those on a low or fixed income. The agency is always in the market to purchase additional properties that can serve as supportive housing for our most vulnerable community members. Interested property owners are encouraged to reach out to Harbor Care to learn more.