Brian Horlick imagined settling down in New Hampshire alongside his wife Diane. But in April, while living out of his car, he had a sudden heart attack.

He died with Diane by his side. Now, she remains unhoused in Concord. 

Horlick, who was 66 years old, is one of 94 people who died in New Hampshire this year while experiencing homelessness. 

In a vigil on the sidewalk near the State House, on the longest night of the year, each name was read aloud, as the crowd came forward one by one to place an electric candle, adorning each name along the bottom, on a table. For each person, a bell was also rung in their honor.

Bruce Batchelder was living in an encampment in Concord when he died on December 16. He was a steadfast member of the unhoused community – respected and liked by many, said Connor Spern, the outreach services coordinator for the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness.

In June, outside the coalition’s resource center, Christina Laroe died at 38 years old, after living without a home for six years.

This time last year, Laroe was making gingerbread houses, using gummy worms as roof shingles. She loved to sing and dance and decorated her walker with flowers and ribbons.

“In the last two weeks of Christina’s life, we saw how tired she was,” said Spern, holding back tears. “It was evident that she was completely worn down from the years of physical, emotional and mental trauma she experienced in her short life.”

Homelessness rose across the country and in New Hampshire last year, according to the 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The report uses the point-in-time count, which attempts to identify the number of people experiencing homelessness in a community on a single night in January. This year, 653,000 people were counted across the country – a 12 percent increase from the previous year.

Advocates say these statistics can be artificially low and underrepresent the true needs in a community.

New Hampshire saw the largest percentage increase in homelessness of any state in the country since 2022, at 52 percent, according to the report. New Mexico followed at 50 percent, with New York and Colorado both at a 39 percent jump.

However, New Hampshire was also one of six states where the number of veterans experiencing homelessness decreased.

In Concord, the Coalition to End Homelessness works to identify each individual experiencing homelessness through their by-name list. This tool allows them to tailor resources to each client and understand the root causes of their transition into homelessness.

Weekly Spern, along with other outreach staff like Freeman Toth, from the Community Action Program of Belknap and Merrimack Counties, visit encampments and offer support to those unhouesd. They get to know clients and worry when someone falls out of touch. It’s a first-hand seat into how homelessness is a complex issue, often compounded by mental health and substance abuse struggles.

Rick Stone lost his battle with addiction in November, leaving behind a sister and his children.

“He fought the good fight with the addiction demon for many years and had time sober and not,” said Spern. “He tried his hardest to win this battle, and like so many others, he lost.”

Robert Ross often rode his motorized skateboard, with a large American flag in tow, around Concord and Manchester. He died in February, at the age of 40.

After Robin Lane died in May, flowers were left at her campsite in Concord, where she lived with her dog, Bandit.

“Though her life was marked by the challenges of homelessness, it was also a testament to her resilience and an enduring spirit,” said Toth. “You can still see tributes of her name around Concord, making sure she is never forgotten.”