Survey says local homeless population increased

LACONIA — A total of 85 homeless people were counted in Belknap County during an annual survey, 25 more than the previous year and 46 more than the year before that, according to The State of Homelessness in New Hampshire Report 2018, released Wednesday.

The homelessness count is performed during one 24-hour period in January.

Statewide, the overall homelessness population increased 10 percent from 2016 to 2018, from 1,317 to 1,450.

The report showed that changes in homelessness figures varied significantly by county from 2016 to 2018.

“Seven counties experienced increases in homelessness, ranging from a 4 percent increase in Sullivan County to a 118 percent increase in Belknap County,” the report stated.

High rents and minimal vacancy rates contribute to the problem of homelessness, even as unemployment is low and the poverty rate is below the national average, said Cathy Kuhn, director of the NH Coalition to End Homelessness, which released the report Wednesday.

Addiction and substance abuse contribute to the problem of homelessness, she said.

The report lists an average unemployment rate of 2.7 percent in Belknap County and statewide this year.

A poverty rate of 10 percent was listed in the report for the county in 2016, the last year for which statistics are available, compared to 8.5 percent statewide and 15.1 percent nationally.

“The rents are increasing year over year and people are not making enough to afford the rents,” Kuhn said in an interview. “Compound that with low vacancy rates and it’s really almost impossible for people at the lower-end income level to be able to find adequate housing.”

Lack of affordable housing also hurts the business community, Kuhn said.

“Business owners can’t find employees to work in their businesses because employees can’t find housing,” she said.

“There needs to be more meaningful investment in housing in the state. Our homelessness numbers are not insurmountable. Looking at New Hampshire compared to larger cities, our numbers are manageable.

“We can do this with dedication and investment. We can solve the problem. I hope that policymakers and others will take that message to heart. It’s not inevitable. It’s something we can do if we prioritize it. If we don’t, then we end up in a worse place.”

The report showed median income for a renter household  increased 6.2 percent statewide from 2016 to 2018, but dropped 7.6 percent in Belknap County during that time, from $36,690 to $33,903.

Meanwhile, monthly median gross rent for a 2-bedroom apartment increased 7.5 percent in the county over the two-year period, to $1,071, compared to $1,296 statewide.

Vacancy rates for a 2-bedroom apartment unit this year was 4 percent in the county and 2 percent statewide, the report said.

“The combined impact of rising rents and declining vacancy rates often leads many individuals and families to live in temporary rooming houses, campgrounds or motels, often described by advocates as ‘housing of last resort,’” the report said.

“Those living environments can be particularly difficult for children and families who are forced to relinquish their privacy and to live in very cramped and sometimes unsafe quarters in order to maintain shelter.”

Carmen Lorentz, executive director of Lakes Region Community Developers, said she has seen an increase in the homeless population near her office on Union Avenue in Laconia, including someone sleeping on the building’s porch and under a nearby railroad bridge.

Her agency develops affordable rental housing available to people who earn about 50 percent of the median income level, or $40,300 for a family of four.

Her group also operates a four-unit transitional housing program for homeless families, which can stay in that housing for about 18 months while they focus on securing  stable employment and permanent housing.

“I have noticed, just personally, more individuals with substance use and co-occurring mental illness living outdoors and not having a place to go,” Lorentz said. “Transients camp out near our properties.

“It affects the feeling of safety of our tenants. Anybody would feel unnerved by someone camping out in the woods behind your house.”

She said Laconia has two homeless shelters and that both require residents to be sober.

“If they are engaged in substance use, they can’t stay at homeless shelters here. A lot of people are living outside and suffering.”

Another impediment to finding housing arises if a prospective tenant has previously been evicted.

“We do a check for criminal background, credit and landlord references,” she said. “If you have issues with housekeeping or disturbing the neighbors, you’ll hear about that.”

Laconia City Manager Scott Myers said the city’s welfare office has a responsibility to find shelter for homeless people who seek help.

In addition to the two local shelters, in the past the city has sometimes placed people in the Landmark Hotel when no other spaces were available.

The hotel has been closed for some time while undergoing major renovations.

“For the most part, we have been able to place people in local shelters,” Myers said. “Sometimes, if there are no beds locally, we provide for a shelter outside the region.”

How to get help:

Housing — Contact the local town or city welfare officer. In Laconia, the welfare office is located in City Hall and the number to call is 603-527-1267.

Food — The Salvation Army, 177 Union Ave., 603-524-1834; St. Vincent de Paul, 1269 Union Ave., 603-528-5683, or call 211.

Assistance with paying electric or fuel bills — The Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack Counties, 603-225-3295.

Referrals for services, including for mental health or drug dependency — Call 211.