MANCHESTER, N.H. – Wanted: individual ready to solve the city’s homelessness crisis. Applications being accepted at city hall.
On Tuesday night, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved use of CDBG-CV and ESG-CV funding for a new Director of Homelessness Initiatives, passing on an 8-4 vote.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig has touted the position (full details below) as someone who can spearhead coordination between the various city departments dealing with the homelessness issue and seek to garner more state and federal support in addressing homelessness in the city.
The current funding lasts for two years, although Craig indicated that the position would not be automatically funded after that point. She stated that non-profit groups could help fund the position after the two-year period expires, although that decision would be up to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen at that point.
Although the city has hired homelessness coordinators in the past at $60,000 a year, but the people employed in those positions largely worked toward direct outreach with the homeless, which would be only a small part of the new director’s position.
Craig added that Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts have people into similar positions to address homelessness in their communities.
The four votes in opposition came from Jim Roy (Ward 4), Ross Terrio (Ward 7), Michael Porter (Ward 8) and Joseph Kelly Levasseur (At-Large).
Roy supported the concept of the position, but believed that as a director, it should be placed in its own department rather than under the umbrella of the Fire Department. He also believed that it was inappropriate to pay the new hire $90,000 a year plus benefits, which would be more than the several other city department directors who supervise employees.
Manchester Fire Department Chief Dan Goonan said that the reason why the position is being placed under the Fire Department’s aegis now is due to the fact that the issue of homelessness has risen to the state of an emergency in the city and his department is dealing with the issue on a daily basis. Both Goonan, Craig and other city officials stated that it would be appropriate to move the position out of the Fire Department’s jurisdiction once the emergency subsides, with Craig noting that the positions focus could transition from homelessness to income insecurity and become a portion of the city’s economic development strategy.
Levasseur built on the salary figure, asking if the position was comparable to the Finance Director, a vacancy currently offered at just over $100,000 a year. He also was concerned that the director may not be accessible at Emergency Operations Center headquarters at the Manchester Fire Department Central Station.
Levasseur also questioned how this funding, which is tied specifically to COVID relief, was appropriate for this position. Craig and Manchester Director of Planning and Community Development Leon LeFreniere noted that the grant was approved for this use by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development due to the homeless population’s impact on COVID infection rates, and a separate portion of this funding was also recently used to reimburse Families in Transition/New Horizons for expenses at the temporary emergency homeless center recently opened.
Terrio felt that the homeless population was already being served by several non-profit organizations in the city and that the city’s homeless population, which numbers in the hundreds, was not large enough to justify this position.
The largest amount of opposition in terms of time spent talking came from Porter, who felt uncomfortable with the proposal on multiple levels.
Porter felt that the requirement that the individual have seven years of experience and a master’s degree wasn’t needed if the applicant had enough experience, he echoed concerns about the position being within the Fire Department stating that it should be within its own department.
He also directly confronted the mayor in regard to concerns he has heard from his constituents who have faced financial difficulties due to COVID-19 and have not received support, asking if she could talk to those people in the fact and justify adding a new six-figure position.
Craig noted that rejecting the position would not provide tax relief to Manchester residents and the money would simply be returned to the federal government, but Porter challenged this on principle stating that Manchester residents also pay for a small portion of federal funding.
Porter also expressed incredulity at the two-year time frame for the position, insinuating that the burden would lapse onto taxpayers at the point via inertia.
Voices of support on the board prior to the vote came from Dan O’Neil (At-Large), Pat Long (Ward 3) and Barbara Shaw (Ward 9).
“Every day I hear about (homelessness), every day I hear about taxpayers hurting over (homelessness),” said Long. “We have two years to get this right, so I don’t have an issue paying someone $94,000 to put the plan in our heads on paper so when their time in two years is done we have a solid plan.”
Shaw’s support came in response to opposition about whether it was appropriate or not to spend the money, stating that it’s meant to be used and the city has a serious problem with homelessness.
“In two years, this position might not be needed, but it’s needed now,” she said.
Additional votes of support from Kevin Cavanaugh (Ward 1), Will Stewart (Ward 2), Anthony Sapienza (Ward 5), Bill Barry (Ward 10) and Normand Gamache (Ward 11). Keith Hirschmann (Ward 12) was absent.
