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Breaking Down Barriers to Affordable Housing
Cross Roads House, in Portsmouth, NH, provides emergency and transitional shelter to men, women, and children in the Greater Seacoast who have ended up homeless due to various hardships. Some had secure housing for years before an unforeseen crisis uprooted their lives while others have experienced chronic homelessness for years.
Beyond shelter, Cross Roads House provides homeless families and individuals with basic necessities, as well as the tools and guidance they need to return to permanent housing.
The Barriers to Housing
Many of the individuals served by Cross Roads House face a variety of barriers to housing including a lack of birth certificate, a lack of credit history which is often a prerequisite for securing a lease, difficulty creating a support network, and lack of affordable housing.
The demand for housing in New Hampshire far outpaces the supply, resulting in a critical shortage of landlords willing to maintain affordable rents. This scarcity of vacant units further aggravates this problem, leaving many without the security of a roof over their heads.
A Partnership That Works
Cross Roads House partnership with Granite United Way’s Affordable Housing Initiatives has been instrumental in addressing these challenges. Working with landlords who provide affordable housing is more feasible when the relationship is incentivized and mutually beneficial.
How Affordable Housing Makes a Difference
Granite United Way’s Affordable Housing Initiatives partner with landlords to increase affordability within existing housing stock and reduce barriers to those participating in assisted housing programs, like the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
This results in less time a rental unit is vacant, opens the door to permanent housing for households experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and helps ensure tenants are connected to supportive services to help prevent a return to homelessness or housing instability.
These initiatives enable nonprofit partners like Cross Roads House to house people rapidly and helps ensure that tenants are moving into clean, maintained units.
Real Impact, Real Results
Partnering with Granite United Way has had a significant impact on hundreds of the clients our nonprofit partners support. These individuals are now paying rent, employed, and creating a home.
Addressing the complexities of issues like housing and homelessness in our communities requires strong partnerships and collaboration.
Cross Roads House is the epitome of what an ideal partner is. They recognize the power of collaboration and the power of showing up, which has helped us grow the impact and reach of our housing initiatives.