When Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in early March, most Americans were focused on vaccinations, remote schooling and getting back to work. However, this major domestic package, commonly referred to as ARPA, also included an important infusion of funding to states and localities in order to address broader systemic economic issues. It aims to rebuild from the pandemic by addressing inequity, inequity in access to infrastructure, inequity in accessing services, and inequity in opportunity. And for New Hampshire, there is no greater systemic inequity than homelessness.
Keep in mind that when the stay-at-home order last spring directed us to stay in our homes to be safe, a growing number of New Hampshire residents did not have a home to actually go back to. Did you know that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported to Congress that New Hampshire experienced the second-largest percentage growth in homelessness in the nation? Clearly, this is not a national ranking we should be proud of.
In addition to the concerning increase in the number of people in New Hampshire seeking refuge in our already overburdened homeless shelter system, we have also seen the proliferation of encampments, an unsettling sign that we have major holes in our safety net. People who simply need an affordable place to live, or who we could serve through a supportive housing model to help address issues of addiction or mental illness, are left to make communities in the woods and behind schools, without bathrooms or running water.
We can do better, New Hampshire.
As the Treasury Department releases close to $4 billion in ARPA funding to New Hampshire, let’s roll up our sleeves and finally address homelessness. In fact, ARPA’s regulatory guidance underscores that these resources can be used for homeless services, homeless prevention, supportive housing and affordable housing development.
Ignoring the rise in homelessness will not make it go away. We have evidenced-based strategies. We have the resources. So let’s get to work. As the Joint Fiscal Committee comes together to decide where to direct these new dollars, and as counties and municipalities come together to strategize how to prioritize their ARPA dollars, let’s make sure that we are making the necessary investments so everyone in New Hampshire has a place to call home.
(Elissa Margolin is the director of Housing Action NH. She lives in Portsmouth.)