Pappas Tours Seacoast Family Promise’s Joshua House
Yesterday, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) visited Seacoast Family Promise’s Joshua House, an overnight shelter for families in need that is being expanded. Seacoast Family Promise empowers families with children who are experiencing homelessness to achieve lasting self-sufficiency through a community-based approach.
“Seacoast Family Promise’s Joshua House provides families in need with temporary housing to get back on their feet and regain self-sufficiency. We know that stable housing is essential for one’s well-being and safety, and I was grateful to hear more about the important work Seacoast Family Promise is doing,” said Congressman Pappas. “We must continue to increase our affordable housing supply, improve support for low-income renters and homeowners, and provide resources to our communities to ensure all Granite Staters have access to shelter and support. I’ll continue working across the aisle on this important issue because everyone deserves a safe, secure place to live.”
Background:
Pappas is committed to working at the federal level to help tackle the state’s housing affordability crisis and delivering federal resources that can help create more affordable housing in every corner of the state. Pappas is a cosponsor of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023, which would finance more affordable housing by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax and codify protections for veterans and victims of domestic and dating violence by formally adopting within the tax code IRS guidance and protections under the Violence Against Women Act.
Pappas supports strengthening the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, which supports building, buying, and rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or ownership for low-income families, and the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, which works with nonprofits, states and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals, families, and youth, as well as individuals fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. From the CoC program, New Hampshire received $12.8 million in 2024; $9.4 million in 2022; $8.4 million in 2021. From the HOME program, New Hampshire received $18 million in 2021.
Pappas fought to pass the American Rescue Plan into law, which provided $10 billion for the homeowner assistance fund to help with mortgage and utility payments, $5 billion for emergency housing vouchers, $5 billion for the HOME Program to help create housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and $100 million in assistance for rural housing. Through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, New Hampshire received $9 million in April 2023, $3.5 million in January 2023; $2 million in November 2022; $2.4 million in October 2022.
Pappas also helped pass the CARES Act into law, which included a limited ban on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and contained $25 billion in rental assistance for families struggling to stay in their homes. New Hampshire received $3.6 million in May 2020; $39.5 million in August 2020; $1.8 million in funding in September 2020.
Additionally, New Hampshire has also received over $30 million to help address the state’s housing affordability crisis in 2024, $1 million to combat housing insecurity in 2023, and $3.1 million to support affordable housing in 2021.