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 month; board members described that level as “affordable” in the program’s model and said program income should help sustain the property over time.

Christie McKinney, founder and CEO of Light of Life Ministries, addressed the board during public comment and described an earlier, similar affordable-housing purchase supported by the city. “We have housed seven individuals in our housing and it has been amazing,” McKinney said, describing case management and on-site supports she said helped residents move toward independent housing.

Board members said the recipient organization for the Merrimack Street work is the Community Engagement Training Center, a nonprofit operated by a husband-and-wife team (the couple also own the church/rectory that will host the units), and that staff from multiple city departments — including planning, fire and code enforcement — have been working on required upgrades such as sprinkler work.

During discussion, aldermen asked about the meaning of “high barrier.” A board member stated the rules will prohibit use of drugs or alcohol on the premises and that residents who violate those rules would be removed.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve a $250,000 transfer from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for conversion/expansion of the 16-unit rectory at Merrimack Street to 30 transitional housing units and to fund case management: approved by voice vote (mover not specified; second: Alderman Thomas). - Committee on Community Improvement recommendations (referred to Committee on Finance): amending resolution for $201,000 for CIP (Hope for New Hampshire recovery/connections); $125,000 for CIP Union Street Community Engagement Training Center; $125,000 for CIP Merrimack Street affordable housing (each approved by committee and referred to finance by the board). - Request from the police chief to change project description of CIP 410,525 (ARPA Park Enforcement): approved and referred to Committee on Finance. - Traffic regulation changes (multiple streets; see meeting packet): approved by the board. - Motion to take public comments under advisement: approved by voice vote. - Nominations to boards/commissions (Board of Health, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Planning Board): laid over to the next meeting under Rule 23.

Why it matters Manchester officials said expanding transitional housing and funding case management addresses a gap between emergency shelter and long-term housing. Board members described the measure as an attempt to make shelter exits more sustainable by pairing time-limited housing with services that address substance use, employment and other barriers.

What’s next The board approved the allocation and staff said work to upgrade the rectory has already started. Several capital items related to homelessness and affordable-housing projects were referred to the Committee on Finance for further review and appropriation. The board did not set an implementation timeline in the meeting’s discussion; staff indicated next steps include building upgrades and intake prioritization through coordinated entry.