The Blue View: Homelessness and food insecurity on the Seacoast
By Matthew Siden
Originally published December 1, 2021 in Seacoast Online.
'Tis the season for family, fireplaces, and "food comas." The majority of us are fortunate enough to be warm and well-fed. But the reality is, this is not the case for many in the Granite State.
We often relate homelessness and food insecurity to large cities. But, the numbers tell a different story. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care Program, in January 2020, New Hampshire had an estimated 1,675 experiencing homelessness on any given day.
Further, according to the New Hampshire Food Bank, one in seven Granite Staters do not know where their next meal will come from, And, if we zoom in on our own county, 21,300 were considered food insecure in Rockingham County before the pandemic, according to Feeding America's "Map the Meal Gap" interactive study.
So, is there any good news? And what can you do?
At the federal level, President Biden's Build Back Better Bill passed by Congress includes $150 billion for affordable housing. Increased spending on housing affordability will go towards building more than 1 million new rental and single-family homes.
The bill also aims to reduce cost pressures by providing rental and down payment assistance through an expanded voucher program. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, around 70% of all extremely low-income families pay more than half their income on rent, and over 580,000 Americans currently experience homelessness.
Blue View: Homelessness and food insecurity on the Seacoast 2/16/22, 1:16 PM
And the good news is that the Build Back Better Bill is paid for by a new 15% tax on corporations with profits over $1 billion and a 5% tax on individuals earning over $10 million per year and an additional 3% on individuals earning over $25 million.
Locally, here in Hampton, we are fortunate to be represented in Concord by individuals who focus on the well-being and security of the people they serve.
For example, state Sen. Dr. Tom Sherman continues to advocate for unemployed New Hampshire workers, helping employees who have lost their jobs access the benefits to which they are entitled. And, Representative Tom Loughman was the prime sponsor on a bill signed into law by Governor Sununu that permits school districts to freeze leftover food from schools and donate to the food insecure.
In the meantime, we are once again joining with the Hampton Community Coalition to collect much-needed food for the members of our community who are struggling with food insecurity. This year, HCC volunteers hope to create some "meal-making-fun" for local at- risk children and their families by collecting ingredients for easy-to-make recipes. How can you join in?
Simply choose one or more of the items below and drop them off at the covered driveway/side door at Hobbs House before Friday, Dec. 10:
-Artificial maple syrups
-Mild salsas
-Cans of yams
-Large boxes of dehydrated scallop potatoes -Large flour tortillas
-Individual-serving size low sugar applesauce -Boxes of large vanilla pudding mixes
-Boxes of low salt chicken broths
-Muffin mixes for six
Missed the deadline? You can still support Hobbs House year-long. Visit their website for more information: http://hamptoncommunitycoalition.org,
By working together - and by electing leaders in our town, state, and nation who share our values - we can reduce the number of New Hampshire citizens in need.
Matthew Siden is a Hampton resident and member of the Hampton Democrats.