RELEASE: Under Governor Sununu, Homelessness in New Hampshire Increased Exponentially

Concord, N.H -- A new report released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that New Hampshire had one of the nation's largest absolute increases in homelessness between 2019 and 2020, prior to the start of the pandemic. According to the report, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire increased by 20 percent from 2019 to 2020. In addition, unsheltered homelessness increased by 133 percent since 2018, homelessness among families increased by 11.6 percent, veteran homelessness increased 2.6 percent, and chronic homelessness increased by 61 percent. This report comes after Governor Chris Sununu said that he “would be a no” on the American Rescue Plan. In addition to providing $1,400 checks to New Hampshire families, the bill will expand child tax credits, ranging from $3,000 to $3,600 a month, which would be enough to lift 8,000 New Hampshire kids out of poverty and would provide $5 billion in homelessness relief nationwide. “This report makes Chris Sununu’s declaration that he would have voted no on the American Rescue Plan all the more outrageous. There are families, veterans, and vulnerable Granite Staters who are experiencing increased homelessness because Sununu has not done enough to use the funds that we have to address this critically important issue,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “Instead, he’s giving tax cuts to out-of-state corporations. Sununu needs to stop prioritizing the needs of corporate special interests and start working for Granite Staters.”

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