NASHUA, NH — Residents from across the political spectrum gathered Tuesday evening in Nashua for a New Hampshire Forum Community Conversation centered on some of the state’s biggest challenges, including housing affordability, property taxes, public education funding and outcomes, and energy costs and reliability.
The event was hosted by the UU Church and Daring Democracy New Hampshire.
Republicans, Democrats, undeclared voters, and residents new to civic engagement participated in structured discussions to identify practical solutions and common ground.
The discussion was facilitated by Donna Soucy, Democratic co-chairwoman of the New Hampshire Forum, and Kevin Smith, Republican co-chairman. The evening ended with each working group reporting back on its discussion and the points where participants found consensus despite political differences.
“The conversations we saw in Nashua were exactly what the New Hampshire Forum is designed to foster,” Smith said. “People from different political perspectives came together, listened to one another, and focused on solving problems rather than scoring political points.”
Soucy added, “That’s exactly the kind of civic engagement New Hampshire needs.”
A table discussing housing affordability reported broad agreement that New Hampshire needs more affordable housing. That conversation then turned to questions about balancing growth with infrastructure, local control, and preserving community character.
“We didn’t agree on every solution, but we found we had much more in common than we expected,” the group shared. “The conversation was productive because people listened to each other, worked through difficult issues respectfully, and left believing we can make progress.”
A table focused on education funding also reported areas of agreement despite differing political views.
“We all agreed New Hampshire can do better,” the group reported. “What was remarkable was that we quickly moved beyond the divisive rhetoric that often dominates discussions about education. Instead, we talked about practical ideas like improving efficiency, directing resources where they’ll have the greatest impact, and focusing on outcomes for students. It was a reminder that common-sense solutions are possible when people take the time to listen.”
Ideas generated during the Nashua Community Conversation will help inform the New Hampshire Forum’s statewide Civic Assembly in September. New Hampshire Forum describes itself as a statewide, cross-partisan civic initiative that brings residents together to identify shared priorities, deliberate on public policy challenges, and develop citizen-driven recommendations for state lawmakers.
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