Regarding planning board members resigning and New Hampshire allocating $5 million to municipalities opportunity to research zoning and land-use regulations and reasons for lack of affordable housing raises eyebrows.
We know more houses in rural areas means more road construction, driveways, wells and septic systems and more students in the public schools. The other option is to build up our small New England downtowns beyond resemblance, keeping water and sewer expenses limited.
What have planning boards and zoning boards been doing that now we need a massive amount of money to analyze what has been deemed not allowable under their direct gaze? Better that $5 million is actually utilized in creating affordable housing in the most-needed towns for workforce housing and affordable housing shortages.
In 2022, I worked in four small towns the other side of the mountain doing door-to-door conversations on eight issues of concern. The affordable housing response was “We don’t want them in our town. They are trouble and don’t work. Have affordable housing elsewhere.”
Many of those in affordable housing are retirees who can no longer afford their homes/property taxes or never could afford their own home. Others can not afford to buy and many are our workers, with lack of housing near their work. These are your parents, grandparents, sons, daughters, nieces and nephews. Everyone is being placed in one category of troublemakers and laziness and ignoring the lack of livable wages in New Hampshire.
Throwing another $5 million at the problem with no viable solution is a waste of time in rectifying the issue. Lets sit down and work with what we have on the table and implement plans.
Kath Allen
Peterborough