Like all of New England and the rest of the country, New Hampshire is experiencing an unprecedented housing crisis as the gap between housing prices and wages continues to widen.
In its 2026 report, New Hampshire Housing reports that the average home price in New Hampshire has reached $575,000. For renters, the increase is steeper: the average fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,824 per month, with local variations that can be even higher. In the Upper Valley, for example, a full-time worker would need to earn about $47 per hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. Given that the average “housing wage” in New Hampshire — the hourly wage a worker must earn to afford a rental at market rate without spending more than 30% of their income on housing — is $35.08, finding affordable housing is daunting.
Late last month, Granite Staters looking to buy a home or rent a modest apartment took another hit from Washington.
On Sept. 25, just days before the end of the federal budget year, the White House announced the cancellation of $810 million in Congressionally appropriated funds for grant programs. As an eleventh-hour tactic, the administration has requested the cancellation (or “rescission”) of previously appropriated federal funds, leaving Congress too little time to respond before the funds expire.
Those cuts included a significant reduction to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): about $56 million, or 98% of the program’s budget, was cut from HUD’s Housing Counseling Assistance program, using a controversial tactic known as a “pocket rescission.”
While it may seem like a small line-item change in a budget, it affects the housing infrastructure that many across New Hampshire rely on. If this cut takes effect, it will eliminate local homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention and one-on-one housing counseling services statewide.
For more than 30 years, HUD-approved housing counseling services, such as those our organizations offer, have provided trusted, professional guidance to help people prepare to buy a home, strengthen their financial position and remain stably housed during periods of financial hardship.
NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire has relied on HUD Housing Counseling funds to support essential programming for Granite Staters seeking to become homeowners. Funds generated by this small but mighty program support community seminars and one-on-one counseling sessions for prospective homeowners. This funding enables HUD-certified staff to guide attendees through each stage of the homebuying journey, from education on improving credit scores and building savings to assistance with the mortgage process. These programs deliver measurable results and have helped hundreds of Granite Staters achieve homeownership.
A study by NeighborWorks America shows that buyers who complete pre-purchase counseling are significantly less likely to default on their mortgages. They enter homeownership with a more robust understanding of the market.
The pocket rescission tactic is drawing bipartisan opposition in Washington. In addition to Democratic opposition, Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have questioned its legality. Several lawsuits have been filed, and a federal judge has blocked the rescission.
Speaking on the Senate floor on Sept. 30, New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen joined her colleagues in expressing concern about the cuts. She shared the story of a young New Hampshire couple who learned their apartment building had been sold and that they needed to find a new place to live immediately.
With a dream of homeownership but no idea where to start, they turned to a HUD-certified housing counselor to help them navigate their family’s finances, meet with lenders, and handle home inspections. Just a few months ago, they purchased a home in our state’s beautiful North Country, a happy ending to their story thanks to a targeted program that helps Granite Staters buy their first home and avoid foreclosures.
Now, under the President’s funding rescission, that program will no longer be available. The support potential homeowners receive, along with the thousands of affordable homes built through state and federal partnerships, reflects the consequences of this misguided policy choice. As Senator Shaheen noted, these actions strip funding from the “critical programs that hard-working Americans rely on to get ahead.”
As we enter the next state and federal budget process, let’s support the programs that work so everyone can have a safe, affordable roof over their heads. Together, we can help ensure that everyone in our communities has access to safe, affordable housing. Consider reaching out to Senators Shaheen and Hassan and Representatives Pappas and Goodlander to share the real challenges and opportunities facing homeowners and renters, and to emphasize the importance of continued support for housing education and counseling statewide.
Robert Tourigny is the executive director of NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire Executive. Harrison Kanzler is the executive director of Affordable Housing Education & Development (AHEAD). Nick Taylor is the director of Housing Action NH.