Community Partner Spotlight: Cross Roads House & Addressing Homelessness in New Hampshire
Cross Roads House provides emergency and transitional shelter to men, women, and children in the Greater Seacoast who have ended up homeless due to various hardships. Some had secure housing for years before an unforeseen crisis uprooted their lives while others have experienced chronic homelessness for years.
Cross Roads House provides homeless families and individuals with basic necessities, as well as the tools and guidance they need to return to permanent housing.
“Many of the individuals we serve face a variety of barriers to housing including a lack of birth certificate, a lack of credit history which is often a prerequisite for securing a lease, difficulty creating a support network, and lack of affordable housing,” says Sandy Beaudry, Program Director of Cross Roads House.
The demand for housing in New Hampshire far outpaces the supply, resulting in a critical shortage of landlords willing to maintain affordable rents. This scarcity of vacant units further aggravates this problem, leaving many without the security of a roof over their heads.
“Our partnership with Granite United Way’s Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP) has been instrumental in addressing these challenges,” says Will Arvelo, Executive Director of Cross Roads House. “Working with landlords who provide affordable housing is more feasible when the relationship is incentivized and mutually beneficial.”
The Affordable Housing Incentive Program, an initiative of Granite United Way and the Home for All Coalition, serves three NH communities: the Seacoast (Rockingham and Strafford Counties), Belknap County, and Merrimack County.
AHIP addresses the immediate needs related to homelessness and the shortage of affordable housing, by partnering with local landlords to increase affordability within existing housing stock and reduce barriers to those participating in assisted housing programs, like the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
This results in less time a rental unit is vacant, opens the door to permanent housing for households experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and helps ensure tenants are connected to supportive services to help prevent a return to homelessness or housing instability
“AHIP plays a crucial role in overcoming these challenges by partnering with landlords, providing financial incentives, and ensuring the availability of suitable apartments for our clients” says Arvelo. “This invaluable support enables us to house people rapidly, thereby preventing them from losing housing vouchers due to time constraints.”
AHIP helps ensure that tenants are moving into clean, maintained units and a place that anyone, regardless of their circumstance, can proudly call home. It offers financial assistance to partner social service agencies who provide supportive services to tenants housed in AHIP units helping to ensure that even the most vulnerable individuals can maintain their housing.
“The impact of AHIP on our clients has been significant,” says Beaudry. “I've witnessed countless clients transition from homelessness to stable living conditions, thanks to the assistance provided by AHIP. These individuals are now paying rent, employed, and creating a home.”
Since its inception in 2020, AHIP has housed 60 Cross Roads House tenants, more than 200 individuals, and 130 households.
“Addressing the complexities of issues like housing and homelessness in our communities requires strong partnerships and collaboration” says Kara Rodenhizer, Director of Housing Initiatives at Granite United Way. “Cross Roads House is the epitome of what an ideal partner is. Will and Sandy recognize power of collaboration and the power of showing up, which has helped us grow the impact and reach of our housing initiatives.”
If you are a landlord looking to enroll a unit in AHIP click the link below for a brief series of questions regarding the unit you wish to enroll in this program.