Category: Q&A

An update on homelessness in NH

The New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness released its annual State of Homelessness in New Hampshire report Dec. 17. It includes data generated between 2019 and early 2020, pre-pandemic, as well as a special report on The Intersection of Unsheltered Homelessness and Covid-19 in NH, based on semi-structured interviews with homelessness services across the state. Stephanie Allain Savard, LICSW, director of the New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness, discussed some of the key points in the report.

What immediate effects has the pandemic had on homelessness in New Hampshire?

The report showed that even pre-pandemic the homeless population had risen since last year. The pandemic layered on top of that has really exacerbated the issue. … Many people who were living in shelters decided to leave because they were concerned about social distancing and didn’t feel that it was safe to be in a congregate setting. Then, there are people who were couch-surfing, jumping from one place to the next at the graces of family and friends who were willing to let them stay with them temporarily; now, they have nowhere to go because people need to isolate.

What long-term effects might it have?

When the eviction moratorium is lifted and rental assistance is no longer granted, there is going to be a wave of mass evictions. We may be able to work around the evictions if we can come up with a solution to get rental assistance … for property owners and tenants so that they can get back on track, but there are so many other aspects of the pandemic that have impacted folks, too, especially those who were already living in poverty. Stress, mental health, physical health, [challenges with] students’ academic success — these are all ripple effects for families and individuals that are going to be lingering for a long time.

There has been a lot of concern about homeless camps, a.k.a. ‘tent cities,’ popping up in New Hampshire cities. What’s happening with those?

Because the pandemic limited [homeless people’s] options for affordable housing and shelters, it was a solution they came up with to keep themselves safe. … Many people in those camps experience mental health and substance use disorders which can affect their cognitive thinking and judgment. … It’s been a bit of a tug of war, because there’s pressure from the community on law enforcement to [eliminate] these camps, and [law enforcement] understands the community’s concerns, but they also understand the situation for those who are homeless. … They’re trying to figure out what should be enforced with a humanitarian understanding that we need to support [homeless people] where they are the best that we can.

Has anything good come out of the pandemic in regards to homelessness?

It’s been wonderful to see so many partnerships get stronger or new partnerships form. Suddenly, city welfare departments, substance abuse [services], homelessness services, community mental health organizations and fire departments were all collaborating to respond to the crisis in the best way possible.

What’s the report’s Call to Action?

We’re always looking at how we can increase the production of affordable housing, and one way to continue doing that is to maintain and increase investment in the New Hampshire Affordable Housing Fund. There’s the New Hampshire Governor’s Council on Housing Stability that was just established … as a short-term action plan, and we’re working to make sure that any policies, legislations and other recommendations that come out of that are supported. [And we’re advocating for] the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Housing Support’s request for an additional $9 million a year to support emergency shelters across the state.

What can people who have stable housing do to help those who don’t?

You can volunteer. There are plenty of homeless services that could use the hands-on support, or you can find out what items they need donated, like hats and mittens and food, or make a monetary donation. … You can advocate for your legislators to address homelessness. … Also, just talking about it is really important. The more we talk about homelessness and educate ourselves about what’s happening with the homeless population, the more we can break the stigma and the cycle that we’re currently in.

State of Homelessness in New Hampshire
The state’s most recent stats, pre-pandemic. To read the full report, visit nhceh.org.
• The number of people experiencing homelessness increased 21 percent.
• The number of chronically homeless people (who have been homeless for a significant length of time) increased by 112 percent.
• Homelessness among students decreased by 19 percent.
• Sixty percent of the state’s homeless population resides outside of Manchester, and 43.5 percent resides in rural communities.
• Black/African-American and multi-racial people make up only 2.7 percent of the state’s general population but 10.2 percent of the homeless population. Hispanic/Latinx people make up 2.8 percent of the general population, 10.6 percent of the homeless population.

Featured photo: Stephanie Allain Savard, LICSW

Hillsboro man helping kids learn money management

Dan Hebert of Hillsboro has been named a winner of the 2020 Myra Kraft Community MVP Award, presented each year by the New England Patriots Foundation and Kraft Family to recognize exemplary community volunteers throughout New England. Hebert is the founder and president of NH Jump$tart, a state chapter of the national nonprofit organization Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, where he has volunteered for the last 20 years. NH Jump$tart was one of 25 organizations to receive a $10,000 donation in honor of its MVP volunteer.

What is Jump$tart all about?

We have one singular mission, and that is to teach kids how to manage their money. … We all need to be financially capable, right? Consumer behavior and financial capability is key to your success; it’s key to my success; it’s just what we have to do. We’re in a country of free will where we can make our own choices about money, so my hope is that we give kids the tools and the knowledge to help them make those choices in an informed way.

In the big picture, why is increasing financial literacy important?

The conversation across the country now is all about the different levels of inequality. Financial education provides knowledge — knowing what’s available, and knowing how to use it in a proper way — and that knowledge can definitely help bridge that gap between different wealth inequalities and different communities.

What kinds of programs and activities does NH Jump$tart run?

We have a second-grade program called “I Can Save” where our volunteers go into the classroom and do a short presentation with the kids. At that age, we’re really focusing on needs versus wants. We leave them with what we call “Centsables” money boxes, which are essentially piggy banks separated by three sections: one for saving, one for spending and one for sharing. We also do a high school student tournament in April where all the topics are based on the national Jump$tart standards for personal finance. The kids compete online for a period of time, and then we invite the six highest-scoring teams to come perform in a face-to-face competition for the state championship. It’s pretty much like Jeopardy! — lights and buzzers and that sort of thing. Finally, we hold an annual teacher conference or workshop where we introduce teachers who teach personal finance to different resources, and I bring them speakers. It gives them a chance to network and to have opportunities for professional development.

How did you get involved?

I founded New Hampshire Jump$tart when I was still in banking. My banking background is in consumer lending and collections, so, particularly in collections, I saw all the consequences of poor credit and all the opportunities of good credit. Back then, New Hampshire was leading the country for the highest percentage increase in bankruptcy filing … and the financial landscape had become very complex. I got my heartstrings wrapped around this [issue] when I was asked to speak at a teacher conference about credit cards. … It surprised me how little the teachers themselves knew about how credit cards work. More importantly, it wasn’t being taught in the schools. … I discovered this national nonprofit called Jump$tart and saw that they operate independent state coalitions, and we didn’t have one here in New Hampshire. … I said, “When my banking career comes to an end, this is what I’m going to do for my next chapter.”

What has been the most fulfilling thing about this work for you?

Lately, it’s been working with the teachers. In order for them to help the kids, we have to help them improve their own knowledge and their own confidence in personal finance, and doing that just gives me a really good feeling.

How will Jump$tart use the donation money?

We’re planning on putting the funds away in an investment account. We’re not even going to touch it; we’re just going to let it grow. I guess you could say we’re letting our actions match our words [about money management].

With NH Jump$tart school programs on pause right now, how can parents help their kids be financially literate?

I would encourage parents to go on our website and the national organization’s clearinghouse [jumpstartclearinghouse.org], which has teaching resources for all different levels, languages and concepts, and most of them can be downloaded for free. There are coloring books and reading books for younger kids and games and simulations for teenagers. … The national organization also has an initiative called Check Your School; we know the power rests with the parents and that superintendents and school boards listen to parents, so we need parents to contact their local school leadership and ask them to teach personal finance and money management concepts.

What’s next for you, personally?

I’m at the retirement point, but I have no desire to take that hook. I just want to keep going. It’s great to get up in the morning and come up with new ideas and new approaches [for Jump$tart]. I’m sticking to it.

Featured photo: Dan Hebert