By Sean Mccarthy
EAGLE TIMES CORRESPONDENT
CLAREMONT, NH — A recent study indicates that New Hampshire residents may be warming up to the idea of modifying the state’s building codes to promote more affordable housing.
The survey conducted by Saint Anselm Center for Ethics in Society polled New Hampshire voters about the housing issues facing the state.
The report reported that “60 percent of New Hampshirites think our towns and cities should change land use regulations in order to allow more housing to be built.” Poll respondents also favored changes to planning and zoning regulations to spark more housing projects.
Claremont City Manager Yoshi Manale said city officials are applying for federal grants to study how to connect workers with better jobs. The grants will allow the city to study the issues related to workforce strength and stability, such as transportation, housing, and childcare availability.
Nancy Merrill, director of Claremont’s Department of Planning and Development, said the city is looking to create a strategic approach to the entire workforce issue. For example, her department is applying for a grant to figure out a strategic plan that would look at barriers to full-time employment, like transportation, housing, job training, childcare and whether potential employees have all the tools and equipment necessary to do the job.
“I think there is a pretty grave misunderstanding when it comes to building and fire codes,” Merrill said. “Those are state laws. The only thing we can do in Claremont, when it comes to building codes, is make them harder. We’re not authorized to amend those building codes to make them easier. We get frustrated with them (codes), too. People think this is just a Claremont thing and it’s not.”
Claremont Planning and Development official deForest Bearse said building codes serve a purpose.
“Zoning ordinances are how you use the land — how land is developed,” she said. “Building codes are the sticks and bricks; how you build those buildings that go on the land. I am a total supporter of building codes. They keep people safe, and that’s its primary concern. And I will fight tooth and nail for that. I believe wholeheartedly in it.”
Bearse’s says she has seen too many tragedies where building or city inspectors have cut corners and people’s lives were damaged or lost.
The codes “may be onerous to some, but I’m a staunch believer in them,” she said. “Because their sole purpose is to keep us safe.”
Area real-estate agents also point to the lack of workforce and middle-class housing as an issue for new employees to the city of county.
Town and Country Realtors Peg Chabot and her son, DJ Chabot, who manage more than 100 area apartments and rental properties, said that apartments aren’t opening up, people are staying where they’re at because there is no place to move to. Even when the new mill apartments opened up, they lost very few residents.
“Now, the mill is full and nothing is moving” DJ Chabot said. “I will send 40 (rental) applications out on property and they [agencies] won’t answer back on any of them.”
He added that in Lebanon, NH, renters are looking at $2,000 a month for a studio.
The Chabots both agreed that while they want to see area businesses grow, housing is a roadblock.
“We don’t have the ability to house the workers, DJ Chabot said.”
Roz Caplan, owner of Century 21 Highview Real Estate in Claremont, and agent Deborah Booth both agree that workforce housing is tight. They, too, point a finger at the city for its rigid enforcement of housing codes on older properties, as well as new buildings being planned.
Booth suggests housing applicants “fill out an application form to rent completely, being honest and not list friends as previous landlords.”
“Then, make copies of the application, send those applications to all the real estate companies in the area. And, most importantly, follow up regularly every few weeks at each agency.”
She also said there is a new service to search for rental properties called Rent Spree that has seen success in matching renters to housing. That site, however, is available only through the Multiple Listing Service system, so people will need to use a licensed agent to utilize that service.
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