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Commissioners ask staff to identify county land for affordable housing, seek private partners
Summary
Strafford County commissioners discussed cataloging county-owned parcels and issuing an RFP to private or nonprofit developers to create affordable housing without using county operating funds; Commissioner Feliciano offered to help lead the effort.
The Board of County Commissioners met Aug. 6 and directed staff to begin identifying county-owned parcels that could be made available for affordable housing, with the county aiming to provide land rather than operate housing projects.
The chair said the legislature recently urged political subdivisions to examine resources that could support affordable housing and proposed issuing a request for proposals to private or nonprofit developers once potential sites are identified. “If we provide the land, that’s kinda how I’m thinking about it,” the chair said, describing long-term leases and an approach that would not require county taxpayer dollars. Commissioner Feliciano said she was “100% behind that” and volunteered to spearhead the effort.
Commissioners and participants stressed limits on county authority and the high cost of construction. The chair said any proposals would be referred to the county delegation for approval and emphasized seeking models that would not increase taxes. The board discussed coordinating with housing authorities and noted that zoning and building-code requirements in some municipalities could affect what is feasible.
What happens next: staff will review county holdings and report back with candidate parcels and a recommended next step such as an RFP or discussions with local housing authorities. No formal binding vote on a specific project was taken during the meeting.
