Apr. 5—What's in a name? Apparently, enough votes to get a new city department approved.

Manchester aldermen found enough "yes" votes — nine, to be exact — to create a new department focusing on efforts to address homelessness, but only after the name of the new entity was changed from the Department of Homelessness Initiatives to the Housing Stability Department.

The vote was 9-4, with Pat Long, Joe Kelly Levasseur, Edward Sapienza and Bill Barry opposed.

Ahead of the vote by the full board, two aldermanic committees backed Mayor Joyce Craig's proposal, but support was far from unanimous.

Members of the Aldermanic Committee on Administration/Information Systems voted 3-2 to recommend the proposal be approved, with Will Stewart, Christine Fajardo, and James Burkush in favor. Tony Sapienza and Edward Sapienza were opposed.

The Aldermanic Committee on Human Resources and Insurance voted 4-1 to support the plan, with Burkush, Kevin Cavanaugh, Erin George-Kelly and Normand Gamache in favor. Barry was opposed.

Tony Sapienza said he was "very concerned" about the message that having a Department of Homelessness Initiatives would send to the greater community beyond Manchester.

"We have a big branding effort going on in this city," Sapienza said. "I think the message that we have a homeless department here is going to attract homeless people. That is my concern."

Once an amendment was offered to change the name to the Housing Stability Department, Sapienza reversed his position, becoming the ninth vote needed to create a new department under the City Charter.

Aldermen also voted to tack on a two-month extension to the closing date of the city's temporary emergency shelter at the former E&R Cleaners building at 39 Beech St. The city had leased the site through April 30 for $156,400.

Adrienne Beloin, Manchester's director of housing initiatives, requested the extension, warning the homeless population on city streets could rise once the shelter closes.

Adds gravitas

The idea of creating the new department was floated during Craig's Fiscal Year 2024 budget address.

Beloin's position currently falls under the umbrella of the Manchester Fire Department, and she reports to Fire Chief Ryan Cashin. The city has had a director of homelessness initiatives since 2021; Beloin has held the job since replacing Schonna Green, who resigned last year.

"This position is a critical person in terms of addressing homelessness in the city of Manchester," Craig said in support of her proposal. "It needs a certain gravitas, if you will, to make sure that we are bringing other department heads together and non-profits together as well as the business community, community members and the state, quite frankly to ensure that we are doing all we can to address homelessness in Manchester."

Craig said in addition to her director duties, Beloin works with the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the Continuum of Care in the city, which is now undergoing a change in organization. She also co-chairs one of the committees of the Governor's Council on Housing Stability.

"I feel like with the work she has done we have really raised the level of expectations of this position, and it shows that the city is committed to focusing on preventing and addressing homelessness, which is why I am proposing to make it its own department," Craig said.

Beloin said the proposal is more than just having a director who reports to the mayor.

"Having a department is actually getting to the heart of what you are concerned about," Beloin said, addressing Sapienza's concerns. "You are concerned that drawing attention to the homeless issue could draw more homeless folks to Manchester. Having homelessness appreciated as its own animal and how complex it is, we can actually prevent the concerns that you have."

Beloin added her schedule is "through the roof" with the things she is asked to do and needs to be a part of.

"Safe Station on steroids"

Levasseur wasn't impressed with the idea.

"Do you think this is going to stem the tide of people coming to Manchester? It won't," Levasseur said. "This is Safe Station on steroids."

Alderman Pat Long said he didn't understand the need for a department.

"Your qualifications I don't have an issue with," Long said. "If it is more help you need, we don't have to set up a department to get you more help."

Fire Chief Cashin said he supports creating the new department.

"I am not an expert on homelessness," Cashin said. "Typically, when someone calls me with a question, my next call is typically to Adrienne. That is not the best way to do things. We have done the best we can do with how we have been handling this. I think ... this is the proper next step to move forward."

In her proposed budget, Craig included money for an administrative position under the director in the new department — half-funded using American Rescue Plan Act funds and half using opioid settlement funds.

Beloin's annual salary of $97,291.94 plus benefits will not change in the new department, officials said.

Aldermen also authorized the acceptance of a $2 million grant from the InvestNH Municipal Per-Unit Grant Program. The program, meant to incentivize communities to add affordable housing, was capped at $1 million per municipality, per year, but because of significant increase in affordable housing in Manchester, the city was granted a waiver to receive twice the available award.

The funds will be immediately invested in a low-interest loan to develop 192 units of affordable housing at the corner of Merrimack and Chestnut streets, city officials said. The payments on this loan will be reinvested in the city's Affordable Housing Trust fund, to add additional affordable housing.

Manchester has allocated $16.7 million in the past three years toward increasing affordable housing and addressing homelessness and substance use disorder in the Queen City, resulting in the development of more than 500 new units of affordable housing and supporting more than a hundred emergency, transitional, substance-use disorder treatment and rapid rehousing rehousing beds, officials said.

pfeely@unionleader.com