NH rent relief program amid COVID pandemic begins Are you eligible? seacoastonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from seacoastonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
DOVER A few years back, developer John Randolph, owner of Harmony Homes and Finally Home Properties, was struggling to recruit new employees. We started to hit a wall, he said. Even when we gave 21% raises that year and improved our benefits, we still weren t attracting as many people as we needed.
The dilemma was a head-scratcher to John, who wondered what he was doing wrong or what he could be doing better as an employer. When he started asking his staff what the biggest challenges and barriers were for them, he found out it was housing. Much of his staff were in their 20s and were commuting more than 45 minutes to Durham, either because they couldn t afford to live closer or because they shared houses with roommates for cheaper rent, he said.
NH workforce housing, affordable single-family homes, reduce commute seacoastonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from seacoastonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“This program will open up doors of opportunity and help New Hampshire families who have struggled through this pandemic,” Sununu said in a prepared statement. “We worked hard to open up as many channels of eligibility as possible so that no one struggling has to worry about making rent or keeping their lights or heat on.” (The program announcement) will be welcome to the thousands of New Hampshire residents that continue to be challenged by financial and mental health difficulties during this more than yearlong historic pandemic, said Rochester Welfare Director Todd Marsh. The knowledge additional relief is in sight should ease anxieties, as we inch forward and out of this shared crisis.
DOVER One week in. One week out.
Meaghan Gagnon and dozens of other Seacoast residents have been rotating between the streets and the emergency shelter operation at the Garrison Hotel for months now, hoping they can eventually climb out of their stressful hokey pokey and into stability.
“It’s like the weeks take forever,” said Gagnon, 39, of Dover. “But, you also (try to convince) yourself it hasn’t been that long. You don’t want to feel you’ve been out here that long because then you feel like it’s going to be permanent, like it’s going to be forever.”