After most New Hampshire mayors called for a better state response to the ongoing homelessness crisis, Gov. Chris Sununu, members of the Department of Health and Human Services, and select legislators will meet with city officials to discuss collaborative efforts. 

“While the state plays a critical role in addressing this crisis, local communities share this responsibility and are also accountable for addressing the unique needs in their communities,” Sununu wrote in response to a group of eight mayors who wrote the governor on Jan. 3.

Sununu’s offer to meet came with some pushback on the mayors’ assertion the state was not doing enough to combat homelessness.

“Politically motivated letters merely muddy the water and make that mutual goal of collaboration more difficult to achieve,” Sununu wrote.

The mayors called on state leaders to take immediate action to combat homelessness, such as increasing the number of emergency shelter beds, providing an additional shelter for women, providing medical respite care and increasing staffing in shelters. 

The group – which includes Mayor Jo Brown of Franklin, Mayor Joyce Craig of Manchester, Mayor Jim Donchess of Nashua, Mayor Andrew Hosmer of Laconia, Mayor Bob Carrier of Dover, Mayor Paul Grenier of Berlin and Mayor Dana Hilliard of Claremont – also requested a statewide emergency plan for winter surges and sharable information about statewide warming stations. Concord Mayor Jim Bouley did not sign the letter. 

In his response letter dated January 17, Sununu highlighted the state’s structured response and financial investments made to increase housing development. 

The state of New Hampshire has three Continuums of Care that are responsible for planning and overseeing resources pertaining to homelessness, with direct funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They also track the growth of homeless populations in areas to better tailor services in communities. 

These three Continuums of Care are broken down by Manchester, Greater Nashua and the Balance of State, which supports the rest of New Hampshire towns and cities. 

Sununu offered to discuss better ways to align the work of all three entities. This could mean merging and forming one Continuum of Care that addresses statewide needs. 

In 2020, Sununu established a Council on Housing Stability, which is responsible for crafting and implementing a plan to assist those who are experiencing homelessness. 

The Governor outlined monetary investments in the past year, which included $100 million towards InvestNH for affordable housing development, $20 million to extend emergency hotel stays, $4 million for healthcare access for individuals experiencing homelessness and other funds used for shelter support, landlord incentives and warming stations. 

Sununu said he hopes to see further legislation this session focused on building affordable housing in the state and said he will sign those bills that make it to his desk. 

In response to the mayoral group’s direct requests for an increase in shelter support, Sununu said each city has been given millions of dollars that can be used to address the issue.

“Collectively, your cities received more than $73 million from the American Rescue Plan and Coronavirus Relief Funds that can directly be used on housing, homelessness, and lower income families,” Sununu said in the letter.  

In the initial letter, the mayoral group proposed the use of Tirrell House, a state owned property in Manchester that used to house the Families in Transition Men’s Transitional Living Program, to increase shelter capacity for women. 

The Governor and Executive Council will consider this request in agreement with the City of Manchester as soon as Wednesday, Sununu said. 

Additionally, funds to support a Health and Human Services position that would oversee a “Healthcare for Homeless” model statewide will be on the agenda at the next Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee meeting. 

“The state and all involved agencies have been dedicating financial and technical resources to this problem in a substantial way,” said Sununu. “We continue to focus on collaborative partnerships across the universe of organizations and municipal governments in responding to this crisis.”

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