Laconia officer named to NH Housing Stability council

CONCORD (AP) — Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky and a Laconia police officer have been named to a newly created Council on Housing Stability, which will update the state’s homelessness plan and address broader issues with housing authority and stability.

Eric Adams, the Prevention Enforcement Treatment (PET) Officer from the Laconia Police Department, was named to the council as a representative from a law enforcement agency.

The council, announced last week by Gov. Chris Sununu, is a revamped effort of the state’s Interagency Council on Homelessness. It’s scheduled to meet on Dec. 4. It’s charged with presenting a preliminary plan, including legislative recommendations, by Dec. 14.

Volinsky, a Democrat and former gubernatorial candidate, was one of over 30 people named to the council on Wednesday, including the heads of many state agencies, mayors, and representatives of groups such as the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; the New Hampshire Catholic Charities; housing, landlord and builder’s associations; and two people who have currently or recently had experience with housing instability. Legislators and a few other people will be named.

State police recently dismantled a homeless camp outside a courthouse in Manchester. Finding shelter has been difficult. City officials and president of Families in Transition-New Horizons said in a statement Wednesday that a property they were in the process of securing as an emergency shelter was just sold to a neighboring property owner.