New Hampshire
Mayors say need is growing for state homelessness prevention funds – NH Business Review
The Hundred Nights shelter located in Keene. (Courtesy of Hundred Nights Inc.)
When homeless residents request housing assistance from Keene, the city must help, even when shelters are full. As the number of New Hampshire’s homeless has grown, that has become increasingly expensive.
During the fiscal year that ended in June 2023, Keene spent $568,000 to provide housing to people who could not get a shelter bed, most often by providing vouchers for hotel stays, Mayor Jay Kahn said in an interview Monday. Come June, when the current fiscal year ends, the city will have spent more than twice as much, $1.2 million. It is tapping into its reserve funds to do so.
And the city’s shelter, Hundred Nights, has its own financial constraints. The state pays about $20 per day for each person given a bed, says Executive Director Mindy Cambiar. But the actual cost to provide that bed is around $58, Cambiar said.
“(We get) less than half of what we spend per night per person for all the services that are provided,” she said.
It’s a widespread problem. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, cities and towns are increasingly struggling with their statutory responsibility to provide housing to those who need it, especially as federal rental aid programs have ended. Some say the state should do more to pitch in.
“This is exceeding the expectations of any city in the state,” said Kahn.
This year, Senate lawmakers are moving ahead with legislation to boost funding to homeless shelters in the state. But experts and housing advocates say more funding and effort is needed to help reduce the number of people who might need them in the first place.
“We’re creating these shelters, but we’re not creating any more beds,” said Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene.
Senate Bill 406, as originally introduced, was intended to be a comprehensive bill to help cities reduce homelessness. Sponsored by Fenton, the bill would have required that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) create a pilot program to help create individualized service plans for families who are homeless. And the legislation would have devoted $5 million to the department to distribute to cities and towns for “eviction prevention, rehousing or shelter accommodation.”
After amendments by the Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, the bill has since been changed to send $2.5 million to DHHS to raise the daily rate it pays to existing shelters in the state.
Shelter directors like Cambiar say they would appreciate the additional state funding. But Fenton and others say increasing funding to the shelters alone will not fix the root causes of homelessness, and will not add enough capacity to solve the crises. And they say cities will still be paying the cost for those who can’t get into the shelters.
The end of the emergency rental assistance program in early 2023, coupled with a persistently low vacancy rate and high prices for rental units, has pushed many to the brink of homelessness all at once, city officials say.
“We are meeting our statutory responsibilities at an unsustainably high cost to property taxpayers,” wrote Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais in a March letter to senators co-signed by nine other mayors, including Kahn, urging passage of the original SB 406. “We seek your support to lessening this cost and to finding equitable solutions that assist cities.”
The $2.5 million in the current iteration of the bill would allow the state to raise the per-day rate it pays shelters for each bed from the current $20 to $27. To Cambiar, the increase would help; the 48-bed shelter has been full almost every day since it opened in its new location last August. But it would not close the gap between what the state provides and what her shelter needs.
The shelter fills that gap through a mix of city funding, grant funding and private philanthropy. And Cambiar and her staff work hard to secure enough funding to create multiple months of reserves.
Lawmakers have helped. Years ago, the state paid only $8 per day, per bed. The current $20 per day came as part of a boost in funding for homeless shelters in the two-year budget passed in 2023. But Hundred Nights is facing a budget shortfall even with the increase.
“Right now, everybody — the board of directors and myself — we’ve been working overtime trying to figure out how we’re going to make up what is predicted to be the loss,” she said. “So I think that any additional funding would certainly be very helpful.”
To Kahn, a former Democratic state senator, the state should be spending more for shelter beds. But he said it should also be finding ways to alleviate the cost for cities, too. While Hundred Nights can use philanthropy and other sources to fill the gap, Keene City Hall has only its budget to provide its services.
“When the shelters are full, and there’s no option but to try to house the family in a hotel or some type of temporary condition, that burden shouldn’t fall exclusively to the municipalities,” he said.
Even those who want more state support for services to prevent homelessness admit that finding the right path forward is difficult.
As originally introduced, Fenton’s legislation gave broad latitude to the state on how best to spend the money to reduce homelessness. But early on, the Department of Health and Human Services had raised concerns about the distribution of money under the original bill. If the money were spread around to all cities and towns evenly, no one municipality would meaningfully benefit, Jenny O’Higgins, senior policy analyst for the department, said in an interview.
In order to better target the funds, DHHS and Fenton had considered instead using the “point-in-time count,” the annual night in January when DHHS oversees an attempt to calculate how many people are homeless that evening, and use it to spread the aid based on need.
Those discussions gave way to the Senate’s simpler approach: Direct all the money into the shelters. O’Higgins said that would help the shelters, even if the bill no longer includes funding for “upstream” services to reduce shelter use.
“As far as the department is concerned, an investment in homelessness services is good … regardless of where exactly along that continuum of care is invested,” O’Higgins said.
But she added that the state still needs a “multipronged approach” to address people in acute crisis.
“We need to serve people experiencing homelessness,” she said. “And at the same time, we need to be adequately looking at funding and having robust services for people who are at risk of homelessness.”
Not doing so, O’Higgins and others say, would simply cause the shelters to continue to overflow, no matter how much they grow.
“A shelter is not a long-term solution,” she said.
This story was originally produced by the New Hampshire Bulletin, an independent local newsroom that allows NH Business Review and other outlets to republish its reporting.
New Hampshire’s cannabis legalization effort has reached a tricky crossroads.
A year after Gov. Chris Sununu announced he would support a legalization approach that meets a number of strict conditions, the New Hampshire House has passed a bill. That bill, which cleared the House 239-136 last week, is now in the hands of the Senate.
But the governor has already raised issues with the bill, arguing that it does not follow his vision of establishing retail cannabis outlets that are state controlled.
Now, House Bill 1633 is in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and senators, House members, cannabis advocates, and representatives of the governor’s office are working to find a compromise that might please all sides, and not fall afoul of federal laws.
Here’s the latest on the state of cannabis legalization.
Sununu’s position
After years of wavering between skepticism and outright opposition to cannabis legalization in New Hampshire, Sununu surprised many in May 2023 when he released a statement saying he would sign a legalization bill if it met certain criteria.
In order to win Sununu’s support, the bill would need to include a retail model that allowed legal sales only at specific outlets overseen by the state, the governor stated. That approach would include measures to keep cannabis outlets away from schools; prohibit “marijuana miles,” or areas where cannabis stores are concentrated; allow towns to decide whether to permit a cannabis outlet; and provide state control over marketing, messaging, distribution, and access.
Some legalization advocates have opposed that approach, seeing it as unnecessary interference with the free market that would keep costs high.
What has the House done?
The House has passed a number of versions of the cannabis legalization bill this term, as lawmakers quarrel over how closely to adhere to Sununu’s vision.
The legislation that left the House last week, HB 1633, would allow the state to license up to 15 retail establishments. The 43-page bill would legalize the use and purchase of cannabis for anyone 21 or older, and create a commission to license and regulate retail outlets.
Sununu’s issue arises from how those outlets would be managed by the state. The House has adopted a licensing model. The governor prefers a franchise model, which would allow the state to dictate the marketing, layout, and appearance of the cannabis outlets, similar to how fast-food companies allow people to open franchises but require that stores follow brand guidelines.
“The state would essentially be an operational partner, like McDonald’s to a McDonald’s franchise,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy organization.
To Sununu, the retail license model doesn’t give the state sufficient control over sales.
“Governor Sununu has been crystal clear about the framework needed for a legalization bill to earn his support, focusing on harm reduction and keeping it out of kids’ hands,” the governor’s office said in a statement last week. “The legislation passed today doesn’t get us there but the Governor looks forward to working with the Senate to see if we can get it done.”
Why did the House deviate from Sununu’s position?
To some House lawmakers and cannabis legalization advocates, the question of whether to adopt a franchise or license model is not academic: It could have real legal implications for the state.
“Here we are in the world of cannabis, where everything is changing federally under our feet as we try to legalize it here in New Hampshire,” said Tim Egan, an advocate representing the New Hampshire Cannabis Association.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has regulatory power over franchised businesses, and requires a certain level of disclosure by companies that are selling franchise rights to others in order to prevent unfair practices.
While 24 states have legalized cannabis, New Hampshire’s state-run retail system would be a first in the U.S. That lack of precedent has made some legalization supporters concerned that a franchise model could allow the FTC to step in and shut down the state-run stores, given that cannabis is still illegal under federal law. Concerns over state liability have pushed some to argue that the licensee model is better.
“Early on, people that knew something about franchise law said, ‘Just don’t do this; you can’t do this,’” said John Reagan, a former Republican state senator from Deerfield who now lobbies in favor of legalization. “You’ll be in a paralyzed situation, and won’t be able to get anything done.”
Others have raised concerns about how close the franchise model could put the state to the cannabis sales themselves. That could raise the possibility for lawsuits, O’Keefe said. The state could potentially face a lawsuit under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), under the premise that it is engaged in sales of an illegal drug. Or it could face litigation over the “impossibility pre-emption,” the doctrine that prevents an employee from needing to follow both a state law and a federal law if the two conflict.
Meanwhile, many states that have legalized have already faced difficulty navigating how to collect revenue from retail sales without falling afoul of banking regulations. New Hampshire’s franchise model could invite similar headaches, Egan said.
What’s next for the bill?
HB 1633 has arrived at the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is holding a hearing on April 25. But even before the committee takes it up publicly, stakeholders and senators are already meeting to attempt to finesse the bill to Sununu’s liking.
To be successful, senators will need to thread a needle: Tweak the House bill just enough to win the governor over, but not so much that it transforms the state model and loses support in the House. If the Senate passes a bill that the House does not immediately accept, it could go to a committee of conference, which advocates worry could doom its chances.
Amid those stakes, a potential compromise to the bill has emerged, Egan and O’Keefe say. The proposal would create the franchise model the governor asked for, but include a trigger clause that would implement the licensee approach should the franchise approach be struck down in court. That could allow the state to carry on retail sales even if the federal government intervened.
“I think that would be a great way to bridge the gap,” O’Keefe said. “If (the governor) thinks the franchise model is going to work, then if it works, it works. But if it doesn’t work, then you can address the House’s concerns there.”
For now, discussions are ongoing with Sens. Daryl Abbas, Becky Whitley, Cindy Rosenwald, Tim Lang, and Rep. Erica Layon, according to Egan.
Legalization supporters have attempted a variety of legislative models over the past decade, only to see them struck down by the Senate. But for advocates, with Sununu declining to run for reelection, legalization could be now or never.
“If the goal is to get it done, this is the window,” said O’Keefe. “There is no guarantee that next year there will be a governor that will sign any bill.”
This story was originally produced by the New Hampshire Bulletin, an independent local newsroom that allows NH Business Review and other outlets to republish its reporting.
New Hampshire
NH troops from the border: 'We have to adapt every night to every scenario' • New Hampshire Bulletin
New Hampshire National Guard Lt. Ryan Camp looked through the border fence separating Texas and Mexico, and made a mental note of the pickup truck crawling back and forth along the bank of the Rio Grande. He logged the man fishing and the person he could hear but not see walking through the brush below the fence.
Camp’s list of events can grow long by the end of a 10-hour shift.
That’s the kind of vigilance, he said, that left his unit prepared to spot a group of migrants crossing the river in darkness Wednesday night. Soldiers intercepted the foursome after they cut the fence and slipped under.
“You have to pay attention and be observant of what’s happening not only in front of you at the anti-climb barrier, but what’s happening in the river, and what’s happening on the opposite bank,” Camp said during a patrol last week. “Every encounter we have on the border is different, and we have to adapt every night to every scenario.”
Gov. Chris Sununu deployed 15 National Guard soldiers to Eagle Pass, Texas, in early April to help that state stop undocumented migrants and drugs from coming into the country illegally. The New Hampshire soldiers pair with Guard members from Texas and Louisiana, patrolling 1½ miles of Texas’s 1,250-mile border overnight. Camp said they encounter about 50 migrants a night on average, a huge drop from the 5,000 who were arriving in December.
Their orders allow them to do three things: report suspicious or illegal activity to Texas authorities; direct migrants to a legal port of entry; and aid migrants only amid danger to their “life, limb, or eyes.”
They cannot arrest or detain migrants. They cannot even give them water.
Pfc. Dennis Harris, 42, of Freedom, was keeping watch from atop a Humvee last week.
“It’s more of a safety aspect both for the people that are trying to cross and for the people that are here in the States,” he said. “Because, yes, some people that are crossing are obviously family members but there’s also other individuals who are crossing that we probably don’t want living next door.”
Logistically and emotionally challenging
The soldiers’ mission, which will keep them in Texas until early June, is likely more logistically and emotionally complicated than it looks from afar. It can be frustrating, they said, to watch a situation unfold and be so limited in responding.
That includes waiting for a person to cut or climb over a fence before calling in Texas authorities and saying no to someone asking for water.
Some migrants ask the soldiers to admit them because they fear for their safety at home. Some appear with young children. They risk drowning in the Rio Grande to get that far. Some spend hours looking for a spot out of the soldiers’ sight to cut the fence and slip under. Last week a woman and two men slept two nights against the fence, asking the soldiers to let them in. Camp, who like the other New Hampshire soldiers does not speak Spanish, used Google Translate to communicate with them.
“She was saying that she would rather be imprisoned here than in Mexico and that Mexico was dangerous,” Camp, 26, of Brookfield, said.
Camp recounted a man approaching the fence carrying a toddler in his backpack, through coils of wire with sharp barbs that can quickly shred a pack.
Last week, a group of migrants found an opportunity to climb over the fence unnoticed and cleared a second fence about 200 yards away. To protect themselves against the sharp wire, they drape it with clothes or blankets. Sometimes they light the material on fire to melt the wire.
When troops noticed the migrants fleeing, Sgt. Timothy King, 26, of Fremont, said they responded the only way their orders allow them to: call authorities who have the power to take migrants into custody – if they find them.
“I’ve seen instances where (migrants) will sit in the brush for probably up to nine or 10 hours,” King said. “They are determined. They will just go out there and just take a nap and … wait until the search gets called off and they can get through.”
Soldiers from other states have seen individuals leave infants at the fence and return to Mexico, waiting to see if the authorities take the child into the United States. If they don’t, they swim across the river again and collect the child.
Guard members from another state saw a woman give birth at the fence. In that case, soldiers responded because the life of the mother and child were at risk.
“You do everything you can to make sure that if something goes wrong, you can save them,” Camp said. “But until then you have to do your job.”
He said those experiences take a toll on soldiers. The unit was given resources for mental health treatment when they arrived. Camp and another troop leader, Sgt. 1st Class Cameron Holt-Corti of North Berwick, Maine, watch their soldiers for signs they are struggling and help them seek treatment.
“Our job is simple to describe, but there is nothing simple about it,” Camp said.
According to media reports last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said 14 of its agents had died by suicide in 2022, the highest count in a single year since it began tracking suicides in 2007.
There are no days off
At the start of his 7 p.m. shift, Holt-Corti, 34, stepped aside, his cell phone to his ear. He was wishing his three children goodnight.
“You miss them, and it’s rough on them,” he said. “I’ve talked to them every day.”
Each of the 15 Guard members, whose ages range from 19 to 42, left something behind when they volunteered for this mission.
Harris, who also has children, works in construction. Holt-Corti is the director of safety at a welding company. Camp works at Sig Sauer’s testing range and looks after his parents. One soldier is trying to keep up with college courses.
“You have to make sure that you’re talking with your work, you’re talking to your professors,” Camp said. “One of the things that can be hard for people is the world doesn’t stop while you’re gone. So you’ll come back and things are different. And you end up playing catch up.”
They are staying an hour from Eagle Pass, in Base Camp Alpha, in Del Rio, a commute that stretches their 10-hour shift to 12 hours. They’ve got a gym and a chow hall that serves a lot of shrimp. They cannot have alcohol on or off duty. Some have to get around in a minivan because the car rental agency had nothing else.
Soldiers work three nights, followed by three days off. But “off” is a misnomer because they use those days to keep their service pistol in working order and keep up with training.
“That’s the Army as a whole,” Camp said. “When you have a day off, in reality, you don’t really have a day off. You have a calmer day.”
New Hampshire
Manchester Makerspace announces unique series of community classes | Manchester Ink Link
MANCHESTER, NH – A new classroom space under construction at the Manchester Makerspace should be ready this week, creating a renovated space for a unique series of community classes.
“We saw a need in the community to offer inexpensive classes on topics not found anywhere else,” said John Robert, secretary of the Makerspace board. “With our classroom ready, our members finally have a space where they can share their knowledge and skills with the community.”
Notably, at least two of the classes listed below are available via Zoom so students can take part from anywhere in the world.
From Sheep to Wool
Students will literally make their own yarn, starting with wool from local sheep. They will learn the process, just as it has been done for centuries, from shorn fleece, to washing, to carding/combing and then spinning.
Date/time: May 7, 14, 21 and 28 6-8 p.m. $80
Sign up via Eventbrite
Intro to Photography
Discover the art of photography in our beginner-friendly class designed for adults of all skill levels! Whether you’re new to photography or looking to refine your skills, this class will guide you through the essentials and help you develop your own unique style.
In this class, you’ll:
- Learn the Fundamentals: Get to know your camera and its settings, and learn key concepts like exposure, aperture, and shutter speed.
- Master Composition: Explore the rules of composition to create visually striking photos and bring your vision to life.
- Practice Hands-On: Participate in fun, interactive exercises and assignments to apply your new knowledge and improve your photography.
- Receive Personalized Feedback: Get tailored guidance and critiques from your instructor to help you progress and grow as a photographer.
- Join a Supportive Community: Connect with fellow students and share your journey in a welcoming, encouraging environment.
This class is taught by Ellis Boettger, a graduate of Saint Anselm College and a Manchester resident.
Date/Time: May 19, 4:30 p.m. $160
Sign up via Eventbrite
Social Media for Makers and Creators: Connect, Grow and Thrive
Tired or scared of feeling salesy and inauthentic online? Discover how to use social media to both connect and grow your followers into a loyal audience you enjoy interacting with!
In this workshop, we’ll uncover ways to showcase your work and craft content that fosters genuine connections. Learn strategies for gaining visibility, choosing the right platforms, and expanding your selling potential. Let’s build a sustainable path to turn your passion into a full-time business.
This class is taught by NH-based Cate Bligh, an expert on the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram algorithms whose had photos and AI-generated videos go viral, receiving millions of views. She specializes in promoting NH-based business via her web-design business and also leads Fall foliage photography tours in the White Mountains.
Class available via Zoom.
Date/Time: June 1, 10:30 a.m. -12 p.m. $40
Sign up via Eventbrite.
This class is taught by NH-based Cate Bligh, an expert on the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram algorithms whose had photos and AI-generated videos go viral, receiving millions of views. She specializes in promoting NH-based business via her web-design business and also leads Fall foliage photography tours in the White Mountains.
Crochet Workshop
In this 3-session class for beginners, students will learn the basics of crochet from a NH Youtuber, whose work is displayed throughout Manchester (most prominently at Woodstacker Brewery). Students will:
- Perform 6 fundamental stitches
- How to crochet in rows
- How to crochet in the round
- How to read & follow patterns
- How to select best tools & materials for a project
- How to crochet using best practices
Date/time: July 11, 18, 25 6-7 p.m.
Sign up via Eventbrite.
This class is taught by Rebekah Cardenas, a Manchester resident who has been crocheting since she was 8 years old. She sells her work through her Etsy store, Create Fearlessly. Her crocheting tutorials can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@create_fearlessly
Bitcoin and Beyond: An Introduction to Cryptocurrencies and Blockchains
You’ve heard so much about the world of cryptocurrencies but you’ve been indecisive about diving in. Take this class at the Manchester Makerspace and you’ll be armed with everything you need to know about taking the plunge into this space as an investor.
We’ll provide a history of the crypto world and take a tour of some of the major coins – and show you how their platforms work. We’ll also talk about future price estimates and introduce you to the experts who have been right over and over again. Little or no experience is required … Just a desire to learn.
A laptop computer is recommended but not required. All registered participants will receive a link to a video to watch before the day of the class. (Link will be sent in the week leading up to the event)
This is a two-session class. The second session will take place on June 12 (6-8 p.m.)
Class available via Zoom.
Datetime: June 5 and 12 6-8 p.m.
Sign up via Eventbrite
This class is taught by John Robert, who has been teaching about the world of Bitcoin cryptocurrencies and Decentralized Finance at Norwalk (CT) Community College for the last 5 years.
Disconnect from Big Tech: Switch your phone to Graphene OS
Over 99% of the world is either using an iPhone or a Google phone. The companies that provide these phones – and the most-used apps on them – know where we go, who we are with, what we are buying, when we visit the bathroom and who we’re going to vote for (among other things). Can we really trust that they have our best interests at heart? … Or, are we heading toward a dystopian future where our phones will enable a single totalitarian world government?
I don’t know about you, but I started to get concerned when they started to introduce phone-based vaccination passports and contact-tracing apps. And then the federal government started arresting people, based on location data from Google. And then they started freezing the bank accounts of the Canadian truckers. All of this got real – and quick!
In this class, you’ll kick Big Tech to the curb and create your very own cellphone with the Edward Snowden-endorsed GrapheneOS operating system. And we’ll show you how to load apps that WILL NOT send data back to the Silicon Valley or anywhere else. No experience is necessary for this class but students must bring a phone on this provided list … as well as the charging/data cable it came with … and your favorite laptop (although we do have a computer for you to use, if you need one).
Date/time: June 20, 27 (6-8 p.m.) $100
Sign up via Eventbrite
This class is taught by a Manchester Makerspace member who is keenly aware of his public digital signature and would rather not reveal his identity. But students should know that, unlike over 99% of the rest of the world, he does not use an iPhone or a traditional Android phone.
RoboTech Teens: Building and Coding Your Own Robot
If you’re worried that your kids will spend most of their summer playing Fortnite, why not send them to a summer camp that will teach them about coding and robotics??!!
In this five-part class for middle school and high school age teens, students will build and program their very own robot – no experience necessary!
The “brain” of this robot is the Arduino microcontroller, the board at the heart of so many cool projects seen on instructables.com, hackaday.com and so many other DIY web sites. Students will learn the Processing programming language and use it to control their robot, using strictly code – or in conjunction with distance sensors.
Datetime: July-22-26 8 a.m. to noon $250
Sign up via Eventbrite:
This class is taught by a Manchester Makerspace member who has taught over 500 people to build and program their own robots. He’s been teaching tech in libraries, makerspaces and colleges across New England for the last 10 years.
Intro to Sports Journalism – Date/time and details TBD
Taught by longtime journalist Andrew Sylvia, Assistant Editor of Manchester Ink Link.
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