After some debate, aldermen approve Beech Street Shelter funding until end of March
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The lease for the 39 Beech Street Shelter and associated services for the city’s homeless population there have been extended until the end of March 2025 following action by the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen, although that extension didn’t come without concerns from several members of the board.
Earlier this year, the board investigated the city extending the shelter’s lease agreement until the end of November with the understanding that Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais would seek to hand off operation of the shelter to a non-profit organization in the long-term.
While Ruais told the board he was still continuing to seek non-profit partners to take over operation of the 39 Beech Street Shelter, but he was met with frustration by Ward 11 Alderman Norm Vincent, who felt that a solution should have been found several months back and that the search for non-profit partners had no end in sight.
“What’s going to happen in March? We’re going to have this same conversation in March,” said Vincent.
Alderman At-Large Joseph Levasseur also expressed concern that money for the shelter would utilize money from the city’s affordable housing trust, which received a significant amount of new funding earlier this year when Ruais put several surplus city-owned properties up for auction.
While Levasseur was comfortable with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to be used for shelter purposes, with a deadline of December 21, 2024 for all ARPA funding to be expended, he felt that it was inappropriate to spend affordable housing trust money on short-term housing subjects such as shelters and that it should go toward longer-term projects that bring lasting affordable housing to Manchester residents.
Levasseur felt that Ruais broke a promise to right-wing members of the board in stating that tax funds from local sources such as the Affordable Housing Trust Fund would not be used for the shelter and that it would be funded through other means such as ARPA funding or other federal grants.
Ruais responded that his promise was not to use local funds for the shelter next year and instead transfer operation of the shelter to a non-profit organization, and he also noted that the related winter warming station services had been funded by Affordable Housing Trust Fund money in the past.
Ruais added that the shelter would need to be used for winter warming purposes due to limitations at once-used winter warming locations such as the 1269 Café and the withdrawal of money from Hillsborough County that had helped pay for winter warming services in previous years.
Levasseur promoted a suggestion by Ward 1 Alderman Chris Morgan that the city only provide winter warming funding and remove shelter services, which Levasseur felt would be a more effective way of helping the city’s homeless population.
Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry reminded the board of the importance of the Beech Street Shelter and its importance in alleviating overcrowding in and outside the Families in Transition Emergency Shelter. Ward 5 Alderman Anthony Sapienza said that he was frustrated with the need to continue spending local tax dollars on the shelter, but noted that homeless residents could die without those services and criticized those who did not have alternatives to the mayor’s plan.
Ultimately, the board approved the lease extension and the professional services agreement extension for the shelter, with the $306,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund going toward 39 Beech Street later coming from several items recommended in the city’s Community Improvement Plan (CIP) by the board’s Committee on Community Improvement, ultimately netting $308,000 toward the two shelter expenditures.
