Ward 1 resident William Ferriero is running every street in his ward to raise money for homeless housing. Courtesy photo

NASHUA – Frustrated with the city’s lack of responsiveness to alleviating the problem of homelessness, Ward 1 resident William Ferriero decided to use his passion for running to take matters into his own hands.

Since June 30, he has been running every street in the ward to raise money for homeless housing, a collective distance of approximately 44 miles. Ferriero said there are 209 streets in Ward 1 and as of Aug. 31, he had run 202 of them.

“Although the total length of these streets is not daunting, the logistics are an interesting challenge for me,” he said. “Ward 1 is sprawling and spread out.”

Ferriero said he runs in the morning, up to four times a week. Each time he goes out, he completes up to 12 streets.

He said the steep hills in that part of the city have been particularly challenging.

“There was one in my neighborhood off Indian Rock Road and one off of Broad Street that were struggles,” he said, adding that he plans on finishing by Sept. 4. “I enjoyed every street; it’s a good time of year.”

Ferriero is asking for 50 cents to $1 for each street he completes. To date he has raised $563 and has a goal of $2,200.

“There has been a lot of discussion regarding the issue of homelessness in Nashua in the last several months,” he said. “Our city leaders and managers have restricted their living options but have not developed a short-term remedy for those with no safe place to sleep at night. Recent proposals have included spending months on a study and years developing a resource center that may house a number of people.”

Donations to his fundraiser, Bill is running every street in Nashua Ward 1, can be made online at https://www.facebook.com/donate/2043753452894879/?fundraiser_source=external_url. All proceeds will go directly to the United Way of Greater Nashua.

“It’s not possible to eliminate homelessness in Nashua, but I believe short term solutions that put money and safe sleeping conditions in place are needed more than long term solutions,” said Ferriero.

According to state and city statistics, Nashua’s homeless population is the second highest in New Hampshire with the highest count being in Manchester. In January 2024, there were 191 individuals experiencing homelessness in the Gate City. By July 2025, that number had climbed to 250.

Homeless services throughout the city include the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, 2 Quincy St., Harbor Care, 77 Northeastern Blvd., the Front Door Agency, 7 Concord St. and the Southern New Hampshire Rescue Mission, 40 Chestnut St.