​City Of Manchester Designated A New Hampshire Housing Champion

MANCHESTER, NH — Mayor Jay Ruais announced Friday that Manchester has been designated as a New Hampshire Housing Champion by the state’s Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA). This allows the city to apply for grants that will further advance innovative housing initiatives and infrastructure improvements.

“Addressing our housing challenges and increasing our supply of affordable units is a collaborative effort,” said Mayor Ruais. “Being designated a Housing Champion increases our funding options, so I am deeply grateful to the BEA. This designation was made possible by our Economic Development Director Jodie Nazaka. The application process was time consuming, but she made certain Manchester was one of the cities that came out on top. Jodie is an amazing advocate for the city and I truly appreciate her efforts.”

Ruais added, “This is top priority of ours. Since January 1, the city has issued Certificates of Occupancy for 543 new dwelling units, the Planning Board approved 600 new dwelling units and we have 707 active units under construction. Additionally, we sold 15 parcels of unused land generating $1.13 million for our Affordable Housing Trust Fund and we’re in the middle of a city-wide rezoning effort which is a generational opportunity to add housing to our city.”

Taylor Caswell, Commissioner of the BEA, congratulated Manchester on the honor saying, “This prestigious recognition is a testament to your community’s outstanding commitment to fostering an environment that supports innovative and sustainable solutions to address New Hampshire’s housing needs. Your efforts have demonstrated leadership and vision in creating pathways for housing development that will positively impact residents and contribute to solving the state’s housing crisis.”As a Housing Champion, Manchester is now eligible to apply for the following grants starting in January of 2025:

• The Housing Production Municipal Grant Fund (with $1.5 million in available funding)
• The Housing Infrastructure Municipal Grant (with $3.5 million in available funding)

Note: The designation is valid for 3 years from the date of designation, with a renewal for subsequent 3-year periods.

Submitted by the city of Manchester.