CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Support for bills to encourage community investment in housing and funding more units are among the short-term goals of a council tasked with addressing broad issues around housing affordability and stability, according to its report submitted to Gov. Chris Sununu.
Sununu created the Council on Housing Stability last month after state police cleared a homeless encampment outside a courthouse in Manchester. It represents a revamping of the existing Interagency Council on Homelessness and has been instructed to update the state’s homelessness plan.
The council submitted its report to Sununu on Monday. It set goals to be accomplished as early as Jan. 30, 2021, such as supporting failed bills from the last legislative session on expanding the use of tax increment finance districts and relief programs to create more workforce housing across New Hampshire.
Sununu said he instructed teams within state agencies to move forward with recommendations that can be taken immediately through executive action, including an application for a federal waiver to support services to assist individuals and families in getting and obtaining housing by May 1, 2021.
Another immediate goal of the council is to start compiling economic and employment data to project the impact of COVID-19 with regard to housing vacancies, rent levels, and housing instability.
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