MANCHESTER, N.H. – If anyone missed Monday’s discussion on the city’s contract with GateHouse to assist homeless individuals suffering from substance abuse, don’t worry: Tuesday held another chapter.
A motion to have GateHouse Director of Northeast Development Amanda Robichaud present information regarding GateHouse homeless detox efforts directly to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) was tabled, but not without significant tension throughout the discussion.
The motion would have circumvented the involvement of Manchester Director of Homeless Initiatives Adrienne Beloin, as the contract between the City of Manchester and Gatehouse requires Robichaud to provide regular reports to Beloin who would then verify data from those reports and present them as part of regular homelessness initiatives reports to the BMA.
In one of her first acts as Ward 6 Alderman, Crissy Kantor made the motion for the purpose of what she said is concern over the issue of homelessness in the city and feeling that there was a lack of accountability on the topic.
Due to the contractual agreement, City Solicitor Emily Rice indicated that the motion would not be legally possible without renegotiation between the two parties in the contract, which stipulates that Robichaud provide data on her efforts to the city through Beloin.
Viewpoints on the board over the motion were mixed. Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry, who chaired Monday’s committee meeting, sensed friction between Robichaud and Beloin. Conversely, Ward 12 Alderman Erin George-Kelly noted that the board approved the contract knowing what it entailed and this motion directly contradicted that earlier decision. George-Kelly also noted that Beloin has been tasked with oversight over addressing the issue of homelessness in the city and this action would severely undermine her effectiveness.
Alderman At-Large Joseph Kelly Levasseur requested that the motion be tabled to allow for a review of how an amendment to GateHouse could be proposed. Ward 4 Alderman Christine Fajardo requested three times that the motion be tabled as well until the entire board could be given additional details on the subject.
Beloin told the board that during the first two months of the contract’s existence, Robichaud provided information during the first month but declined during the second month and instead provided different information during Monday night’s presentation than what she was eventually given and was able to confirm independently.
In her response to the BMA, Beloin noted that approval of the request would be inappropriate as data provided by GateHouse regarding individuals sent to detox clinics could not be independently verified or tracked beyond the few days they were in the facility, potentially meaning that those individuals could go right back out on the streets without the city’s knowledge once their detox treatment concludes.
Beloin also responded to questions from Kantor regarding residents of the Beech Street shelter (30 of the 40 beds have been occupied by the same person since the shelter’s establishment, not all 40) and from Barry regarding confusion between Robichaud’s access to the Families in Transition Shelter on Merrimack Street (Beloin stated that Robichaud is allowed through the front door, but no one is allowed through the side door)
Earlier in the evening, Levasseur moved to table a recommendation to put the recently created Department of Housing Stability, led by Beloin, into the city charter as an ordinance.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, who was not in attendance during Tuesday night’s BMA meeting, issued the following statement in response to that decision.
“Increasing affordable housing and addressing homelessness is a top priority of our City leaders and residents. It is disappointing that three out of 14 aldermen chose to stop Manchester from establishing a Department of Housing Stability tonight, but I remain committed to moving it forward.”
