Latest News - October

Ames Brook Apartments

BEFORE                                                                                              AFTER

North Branch Construction has been hard at work since July on the $4 million rehabilitation project at our 40-unit complex in Ashland, now called Ames Brook Apartments. Renovations on five of the 40 units are now complete. Interior renovations include new flooring, new cabinets, new energy-efficient appliances, and completely renovated bathrooms. Exterior renovations are also underway. The parking lot has been repaved, new siding and windows are currently being installed, and new porches are being constructed.
 
This rehab project will bring Ames Brook up to our healthy housing standards by improving life safety systems, indoor air quality, accessibility, and energy efficiency.

Legislative Update

On September 25th, the New Hampshire House and Senate passed a two-year, nearly $13 billion compromise state budget after Governor Sununu vetoed their first effort back in June. The Governor signed the compromise budget the same day.
 
The final budget includes significant new investments to address New Hampshire’s housing crisis, including:
 

• $5 million for the state’s Affordable Housing Fund, plus a new $5 million per year real estate transfer tax carve-out for the Affordable Housing Fund.
• The first major increase for homeless services in over 20 years ($2 million for eviction prevention; $1 million for case management; $1 million for rapid re-housing; and $400,000 for homeless youth outreach).
• The establishment of a new Housing Appeals Board, which provides an alternative, expedited process to appeal a decision rendered by a local land-use board.
• A new $3 million lead remediation fund to help landlords pay for lead remediation required under a new law aimed at protecting more children from lead poisoning.

 
Thank you to everyone who contacted their representatives or senator to express support for these legislative priorities. You made a difference!

Open House at 193 Court Street

Come visit the new Court Street Neighborhood Center and LRCD Headquarters!
 
Thursday, November 14
4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
193 Court Street, Laconia
 
Hosted in conjunction with the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce as part of their Business After Hours event series.

Pine Hill Solar

Energy-efficiency is important to us and to the people we serve. It’s not just about being “green.” Census and federal energy data show that energy expenditures by low-income households in the Lakes Region eat up 34% to 37% of household income. Unfortunately, this means that there are many families in our region who probably have to choose between paying their electric bill and buying groceries or medicine.
 
Our Pine Hill Solar project in Laconia will eliminate that issue completely for 12 families. Thanks to a generous gift from the Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, we were able to complete a solar feasibility study for all of our scattered site properties in Laconia. The study showed that six of the nine Pine Hill duplexes are excellent candidates for solar PV systems.
 
Pine Hill was one of the first properties that we redeveloped in Laconia back in the 1990s.  At present, the families at Pine Hill pay for electricity separately from their rent. After we install the solar system, we will be able to include electricity in the monthly rent.
 
Roof repairs are now complete and the solar panels will begin to be installed.
 
We are extremely grateful to the Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the New Hampshire Public Utility Commission, and Mainstay Technologies for providing the funds to make this project possible.

Help Build Starter Homes

$150,000 in NH Business Tax Credits Still Available!

1. Does your business struggle to recruit qualified candidates for open positions? 
2. Is lack of suitable and affordable housing an issue for your current or potential employees?
3. Do you want to see young families thrive in the Lakes Region?
   
   

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please consider purchasing some of our NH business tax credits to help build Harriman Hill Homes, a development of 20 affordable starter homes in Wolfeboro, NH. Click here for more information, or contact Carmen Lorentz at (603) 524-0747 ext 110 or [email protected].

Green Tip - Spooky & Green

As a NeighborWorks America Green Designated Organization, we have incorporated green practices across all our lines of business, and we strive to inspire our community to choose green practices for their homes and businesses. We hope you enjoy our monthly Green Tip.

Think outside the box store for candy this Halloween. It’s particularly important to choose fair-trade chocolate, as many conventional chocolate companies have ties to child labor. Check out our suggested brands for fair trade chocolate and other healthy treats.

Check out this website for many green trick-or-treat ideas! https://www.greenamerica.org/green-living/green-your-halloween