Belknap House II: Nonprofit expansion brings families closer to shelter independence

LACONIA — A new expansion will allow Belknap House to serve more families experiencing homelessness in the Lakes Region. Dubbed Belknap House II, the expansion comes in the form of a duplex which will serve as a next step for families on their journey to housing independence.

Elizabeth Sylvia, 60, and her family are the first, and currently the only residents to live in Belknap House II. She lives in one apartment with her grandson Korbyn, 13, and her granddaughter. Sylvia lived at Belknap House for 14 months before applying to live in Belknap House II. A screening committee interviewed her, and she sent in references. Sylvia is happy to be at Belknap House II, but said it’s a transition she still needs to get adjusted to.

“After so long of being under the rules at the Belknap House I, you get to Belknap House II and you’re like, ‘Wow, what do I do now?’” Sylvia said. “It's a transition, but it's a good one, you know. It's a very good one. And I love it.”

Opening Belknap House II

Belknap House has given families experiencing homelessness a place to stay for more than seven years. Up to Six families can live at Belknap House at a time, but the board and staff wanted to be able to help more families. After receiving a $300,000 donation from St. James Episcopal Church in January, the nonprofit closed on the purchase of a duplex containing two, three-bedroom apartments. Businesses and individuals donated furniture and other home improvement goods to help beautify the apartments. Carrie Pearson, Belknap House board member and vestry member at St. James Episcopal, said this new addition is exactly what they were hoping for.

“Laconia doesn’t want to have a homeless population. We have to do as much as we can to support these agencies to help individuals to progress towards being independent,” Pearson said. “Truth be told, we need 100 of these houses. Laconia has a homeless issue. You can’t just kick it under the rug.”

“It’s sort of stage two in their process of becoming independent,” Belknap House President Don House said. “In other words, they don't have to check in and check out with an office. There's no staff there watching them when they come and go.”

Belknap House II is more relaxed in expectations compared to Belknap House. Things like chore schedules, constant supervision and life and financial classes are expected for families living at Belknap House, with the aim of creating habits for independence. These aren’t expectations for residents of Belknap House II. That being said, the residents still have responsibilities. Families who live there must contribute 30% of their income, and while they don’t have a chore schedule, are expected to clean and cook for themselves. They must also submit to drug testing. But one of the biggest requirements for living in Belknap House II is starting in Belknap House first.

“It gives us a chance to see how families are doing on their goals. We've worked with families for six months before they'd, in most cases, be eligible to move over to Belknap House II,” House said. “We're really trying to make it so we can support more families and we do that by, when families are ready to move to a different type of facility, we can move them and make more room in Belknap House I.”

Belknap House II is in the city, but its location is discrete.

“We don't have signs saying 'This is Belknap House II.' We're trying to keep it just like it's part of the neighborhood,” House said. “We don't want people to think, or even the neighbors, that when people are moving in there, they're still homeless. The people are supporting themselves and made a lot of progress from moving out of Belknap House I. We want everyone to think that they're responsible individuals that are living independently now.”

A period of transition

For most of her life, Sylvia had secure housing. But in February of last year, Sylvia had to find a new place to live with little notice when she learned the house she was staying in was going to be sold. She stayed with relatives for a little while, but had to eventually call the Laconia Welfare Department, who told her to contact Belknap House, where she was staying until the beginning of April.

“I wanted my own place, but I mean, that was like home to us. We made it our home,” Sylvia said about Belknap House. “We followed all their guidelines, their rules.”

Despite how much she appreciated her time at Belknap House, Sylvia still hoped to eventually live on her own. With 19 other people living at Belknap House, she was looking forward to some peace and quiet.

Another reason Sylvia is excited to move into Belknap House II is being reunited with her all grandchildren. When Sylvia moved into Belknap House, she had one room to share with her two grandchildren. The family thought it was too much for them all to stay in the same place, and Sylvia was able to make arrangements for her granddaughter to stay with a family friend.

Sylvia has been taking care of Korbyn since he was 6 years old, and her granddaughter since she was 2 weeks old. Neither are in contact with their parents. Because of her unique relationship with her grandkids, Sylvia is happy to have them all back together.

“[My granddaughter] just got back with us, so we're getting used to each other again, and reconnecting, and it's great to have that feeling, to have your family back together. And I couldn't wait for that,” she said. “I don't know how many times I've been in tears over that. It's been a long road.”

Sylvia has been unable to work due to neuropathy, diabetes and a heart condition, and receives disability assistance. Her granddaughter works and contributes to the household. Korbyn said when he turns 14, he wants to get a job when he’s not going to school, so he can contribute as well.

“He wants to work so bad. He's been saying it for months. ‘I want to work, I want to work,” Sylvia said. “I keep telling him we're fine, we're good.”

Despite these changes, Sylvia is still applying all the things she learned from living at Belknap House and lives by similar rules in her apartment.

“Korbyn, he's in bed at a certain time. We all do chores. There’s laundry days. Everybody pitches in and we all get it done together.”

As much as Sylvia loves the apartment, she knows she won’t stay forever.

“I'm hoping and praying that I could be out here within a year, a year and a half,” she said. “That way another family could come in and enjoy it as much as I had.”