Board approves $250,000 to expand Merrimack Street transitional housing, funds to include case management

The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved $250,000 from the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund to expand transitional housing at a rectory on Merrimack Street and to provide on-site case management.

The measure, approved by voice vote at the board meeting (date not specified), will fund upgrades to convert 16 units in the rectory into 30 transitional housing units and pay for case management services intended to support residents’ moves into stable, long-term housing. The board approved the motion after discussion tying the project to broader efforts to reduce shelter stays and to link residents to services.

The board and staff described the program as “high barrier,” meaning rules will be enforced on-site. A board member explained the program will prioritize moving people out of emergency shelters into a sober, supervised setting and that the project is intended to provide an 18- to 24-month “bridge” to permanent housing. The board said rent at the property is expected to be set at about $750 a…