Nashua is a beautiful place to live and raise a family. That is my opinion, based on personal experience, and I am sure that many of you reading this article will agree. Perhaps, like me, Nashua is a community you chose. Perhaps, like others, your family has been in Nashua for more than one generation and you were born at St. Joseph or “Memorial” Hospital. Regardless, you likely love the community, so I repeat, Nashua is a beautiful place to live and raise a family.

Unless, of course, you cannot afford a home. And there are many – too many – cases where that is the situation. We all know that the cost of living, especially for renters, is very high in our community. And we also know that the rate of vacancy is very low. In fact, it is almost impossible to find an apartment for less than $1,000 per month. As a result, many folks end up spending much more than the recommended 30% of their income on housing, which means that these same people, who are often working full time more than one job, still find themselves in need of public supports, just to stay afloat.

To their credit, the City is taking a deep dive into this issue through their planning process, and hopefully as a result there will be some easing of the housing burden in future years, but in the meanwhile we still have the need to address current circumstances. In this article I wanted to make you aware of three projects being worked on which will help individuals, families, and youth facing homelessness. And we should all be very aware that over the next two years we are going to be facing some difficult times. That’s because, due to COVID, rents are piling up and as soon as the moratorium on evictions is lifted, and state resources begin to dry up, there’s no question that we will face a homeless situation, probably much more severe than we’ve seen in recent years.

The first project I want you to be aware of is the Spring Street renovation of St. Patrick’s Church by the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter. Under the leadership of their Executive Director, Michael Reinke, NSKS is undertaking a major renovation of that facility to greatly increase the emergency shelter capacity in our community. For a long time, this has been a real need, and as a result we have often seen folks seeking alternatives like sleeping in a tent in the woods. With this new facility, scheduled for the next 18-24 months, we will have a real way to connect people to resources and a roof over their heads, should they become homeless and need shelter.

The second project you should know about is the renovation of the Infant Jesus School, which is now vacant, by Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire. Their Director, Pam Small, has created a vision for a new transitional housing facility to serve our community, much like Ann Marie House has for years. However, this facility will have even more space to serve families, which are often unserved by other agencies. And the beauty of a transitional housing program is that it allows families to live in a stable environment for an extended period while they get back on their feet and become self-sufficient. This project is also slated for the next year or so.

The final project which you should be aware of is a brand-new concept to create a “Drop-in Center” for homeless youth. The vision for this, which is supported by United Way as their fiscal agent, is the brainchild of Program Director Kathy Farland, and is being called “Stepping Stones.” A drop-in center represents a safe place where homeless youth can connect to resources. In so doing, these young people, typically up to age 24, can get what they need to get stabilized in a time of crisis and ultimately to get their lives back on track.

Personally, I am excited about all three of these programs coming to fruition, because each of them in their own way will address a different aspect of homelessness and work toward creating a healthier community for all. I would encourage you to reach out to each (or all) of them and ask how you can get involved with supporting their great work. I know they can use it.

So, why talk about homelessness right now? In my opinion, and time will tell whether this is true or not, we are on the brink of a significant confluence of events which could dramatically increase housing insecurity in our community. As mentioned, we have the ongoing effect of the lack of affordable housing. We also the pandemic-caused high rate of unemployment. We also have artificial supports, like the eviction moratorium, coming to an end. And behind all of it is the potential for budget shortfalls which trickle down from Federal to State to the local level. All in all, I think it is fair to say, that we need to be prepared for a rough time. I am also concerned about some other elements more immediately related to homelessness. One of them is winter. Normally we have “warming spaces” available for people when the weather gets really cold, but this year will be a challenge. Some spaces, like the Public Library, will likely be closed for this use and others, like the Rescue Mission, will effectively have less space available due to social distancing requirements of COVID. I also remain very concerned about the homeless youth in our community, and nowadays particularly so because the remote and hybrid learning models have made it much more difficult for these young people to connect with resources at school.

If any of these concerns rings true with you, I highly recommend that you connect with the Continuum of Care or any of our local agencies which work on these issues. And if you do not know where to start, then please send me an email over at United Way and I will be sure to get you connected. I am confident that we can weather the storm, but to really succeed we will need to pull together, which – as Nashuans we know we can do — because GREAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE LIVE UNITED.

Mike Apfelberg is president of United Way of Greater Nashua.

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