WASHINGTON – On Friday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) held an online roundtable with several of New Hampshire’s mayors and municipal leaders to discuss possible new COVID-19 stimulus support for small and medium-sized communities.
Shaheen voiced optimism that the Biden Administration would likely be more receptive to assisting municipalities with budgeting shortfalls they’ve faced due to the pandemic, but that the transition from the Trump Administration is still underway and it may take time for support to arrive.
She hopes that a bipartisan solution can be found to supplement the $900 billion relief package that came last month, citing that a lack of sustained support from the federal government after the Great Recession of 2009 delayed the nation’s economic recovery. However, Shaheen indicated that she would support going through budget reconciliation to get the funding if needed.
The state’s mayors and municipal managers in attendance were generally supportive of Shaheen’s outreach efforts to meet their municipality’s needs, but also expressed a variety of continuing concerns.
In Manchester, Mayor Joyce Craig discussed a variety of initiatives the Queen City has been able to pursue thanks to CARES Act funding specifically granted through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Administration.
The most recent effort helps those economically impacted by the pandemic to receive grants for assistance on basic needs, with other initiatives including the Manchester Small Business Recovery Loan Fund, the Manchester Small Business Resiliency Grant, a new Director of Homeless Initiatives and emergency winter shelter space at the former Manchester Police Department Headquarters.
However, Craig noted that Manchester still faces challenges as it prepares its budget for the next fiscal year due to decreased revenues and increased burden on retirement funding shifted from the state.
She told Shaheen that she has not yet learned how much each community will receive from the state in the latest stimulus package and that Manchester School District officials will renew efforts to receive information on this front next week.
One recurring topic of concern from many of the local leaders was housing. In Keene, Mayor George Hansel said that emergency shelter space was proving fruitless due to a lack of transitional housing available for homeless individuals once they progress past the need for shelter space. In Salem,
Other areas of concern across the state included support for small business owners and the hospitality industry, vaccination of teachers, funding support for schools and fire departments among others.
Shaheen also hopes that any upcoming packages provide additional flexibility, with some municipalities on the call stating they could not receive support for COVID-related needs that did not meet the stringent protocols of earlier packages.
