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Despite voters continuing to cite housing as their top priority, the current version of the state budget invests less in housing than the last two-year budget. The Senate has not included any of the housing funding priorities they passed and tabled for consideration in the budget earlier this year (SB 81, SB 113, SB 158, SB 279).
Last year, the state budget included $25 million for the Affordable Housing Fund, $10 million to continue the InvestNH program, $5.25 million to launch the Housing Champions municipal incentive program, and an increase to DHHS’ homeless services budget.
As currently drafted, the budget only includes the existing $5 million per year to the Affordable Housing Fund as required by law (no increase), no funding to continue either the Housing Champions or InvestNH program, and flat funding for the homeless shelter contracts.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to the Senate Finance Committee ahead of their final vote on the budget. If you have not yet reached out to the Committee, please consider emailing them and requesting that they include funding for affordable housing in the budget.
Email Addreses: James.Gray@gc.nh.gov; Daniel.Innis@gc.nh.gov; Regina.Birdsell@gc.nh.gov; Howard.Pearl@gc.nh.gov; Sharon.Carson@gc.nh.gov; Timothy.Lang@gc.nh.gov; David.Watters@gc.nh.gov; Cindy.Rosenwald@gc.nh.gov;
The Senate Finance Committee will take its final vote on the budget on Tuesday, June 3rd, and the full Senate will vote on the budget on June 5th.
As always, if you have questions about the legislation we mention in the newsletter or housing-related proposals that aren’t included, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, and you want to receive future updates, you can sign up here.
Best,
Nick Taylor
Executive Director
Housing Action NH
nick@housingactionnh.org |
