Joint committee seeks ‘practical policies and initiatives that actually address the homelessness issue’

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LaTonya Muccioli makes a presentation before the joint Planning and Economic Development Committee (PEDC) and Human Affairs Committee on Aug. 6. Screenshot

NASHUA, NH – On August 6, Nashua held its first joint meeting of the Planning and Economic Development Committee (PEDC) and Human Affairs Committee, to address homelessness. 

The idea to hold the joint committee meetings came from Alderman-at-Large Melbourne Moran Jr. and Ward 4 Alderman Tom Lopez.

Up until now, Moran says the matter has been discussed in private meetings internally with little engagement from the Board of Aldermen or city administration. With the joint PEDC and Human Affairs committee meetings, the goal is to address homelessness in a public way for the community to see what the city is doing to address the issue. 

“Alderman Lopez and I have been very vocal toward the mayor and directors in the Board of Health about making sure that they have practical policies and initiatives that actually address the homelessness issue,” Moran said. 

“On my end, I know I will bring up ways that we can zone our city.” 

According to Moran, changes need to be made to keep people who are at imminent risk of homelessness from becoming unhoused. He says this includes supporting initiatives that are building low income housing – such as NeighborWorks – expansion of low-income housing, and practical changes to zoning to allow for duplexes rather than single-family homes, which he says will help drive down the cost of rent.

He added that supporting low-income developments will also help lower the cost of living, as someone with Section 8 or with a low income can easily have access to a home or the ability to rent an apartment.

He also feels that Nashua should make practical decisions on what developers to partner with.

“There’s only so many folks that can afford $2,000 plus a month rent for a studio, and a lot of developers in the city have really been turning their backs on low-income class individuals and families,” he said. “You’ll hear ‘oh, there’s no market for that.’ There is a market for it, but they make more money when it’s market rate housing.” 

Current zoning policies exist where developments must include inclusionary zoning of 80 percent of the median income. Moran feels the city could consider lowering the number to 50 percent. 

“I’ll get tons and tons of reasons why we can’t do it, developers aren’t interested, etc,” he said. “We have the capacity to make these deals with developers. If they’re gonna get a benefit out of it, how much are you really losing if we ask you to put five to 10 Section 8 units in your building?”

Integrating housing, he explained, creates more equal and equitable housing, giving people the same access to green space and amenities that shouldn’t be exclusive to those with higher incomes, while lower income individuals are stacked in units with limited green space.

“We want people who are high earners to lower earners to be able to live in the same neighborhood and right now the developments that the city has been focused on does the opposite of that,” he said. “When I hear that city officials tell me no one’s in the market for that, I hear ‘no in their ritzy towers wants a poor family or a person in the unit’ and that I think is discriminatory.”

Moran said the joint meetings may also provide the opportunity to discuss first-time homebuyer support, ways to support people with manufactured homes, and ways of looking at zoning to encourage the development of such homes in the future. 

At the meeting on Aug. 6, housing services officer LaTonya Muccioli gave an overview of homelessness in Nashua, efforts made by the city, and identified community needs, including an overnight warming station, a daytime resources center, and more emergency low-barrier sheltering capacity. 

She reported that last year’s overnight sheltering between Feb. and April 2024 cost the city $89,221 for staffing and $3.029 in utilities.

She said they hope to have a plan for a warming station before the winter months arrive, similar to the station hosted at the Unitarian Universalist Church from February to April earlier this year.