Keene's new housing panel discusses accessory dwelling units

Jun. 2—In its latest meeting Wednesday, Keene's Ad Hoc Committee on Housing Stability discussed a handful of ideas to combat homelessness in the area.

They included a proposal to allow homeowners to add additional units or dwellings to their properties. This would create more living spaces amid the high demand for housing in New Hampshire.

The request from City Councilor Bobby Williams asks the committee to consider changing Keene's land-use policy to allow detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in all residential zones. Currently, Williams said, they are permitted only in agriculture and rural districts.

"Homelessness in Keene has many contributing factors, and high among these are the limited availability and high cost of housing," Williams said. "The quickest, most affordable and equitable thing we can do to increase the availability and reduce the cost of housing in Keene is to enable more people to live in the buildings we already have."

According to N.H. Housing, the state authorized ADUs in 2017 to expand the supply of affordable housing in communities without further land development, as well as to encourage efficient use of existing properties.

Keene's land-use codes state that ADUs must have a minimum gross floor area of 400 square feet, a requirement Williams hopes the city will revoke to allow construction of tiny homes as accessory buildings on existing lots. This would also permit small garages and carriage houses to be converted into living spaces, he said.

In addition to increasing the supply of affordable housing, Williams said ADUs could also provide a source of income to homeowners.

His proposal also calls for the committee to consider giving homeowners access to state and federal grant funding for affordable housing development.

Mayor George Hansel, who chairs the committee, agreed with Williams that Keene's land-use codes must be updated.

"Our codes are very old," Hansel said. "So pushing on those and asking those questions makes a lot of sense."

Hansel said the proposal could be incorporated into an existing agenda item, aimed at reviewing and changing the city's codes, which will be subject to a public hearing on June 16.

The ad hoc housing stability committee includes representatives from local and regional organizations, including Southwestern Community Services, the Cheshire County Department of Corrections, and the city's human services department. The 10-person group held its first meeting May 4, and convenes on the first Wednesday of each month in City Hall.

The Granite State's competitive housing market has made affordable housing sparse. In a 2021 survey, N.H. Housing found the median gross rent for a two-bedroom unit was $1,498, a 6 percent increase from the previous year, and the vacancy rate was less than 1 percent. At the time, the vacancy rates for the U.S. and the Northeast were both 6.8 percent.

The city has put out a request for proposals to conduct an in-depth, comprehensive needs analysis for Keene's housing, which would articulate the critical issues, opportunities and solutions.

According to City Manager Elizabeth Dragon, the assessment will document existing housing conditions, identify forces affecting supply and demand for the next 10 years and look at strategies to maintain equitable access to safe and reliable housing for as many citizens as possible.

She expects to have the proposals by June 14, and they will then go through the city approval process before a contract is negotiated in July.

Public restrooms

Keene is also looking at improving public restroom access downtown, and a portable toilet was placed near the skate park off Gilbo Avenue on Wednesday, which Dragon said will be cleaned twice a week.

She also noted that the public is encouraged to use City Hall's second-floor bathrooms if they need to, which are open weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Downtown businesses that don't provide public access to their restrooms can direct passersby to City Hall instead, she said.

After the committee opened the floor to public comment Wednesday, Michael Hall, minister of Keene Unitarian Universalist Church, suggested that after Hundred Nights moves into its new shelter on Water Street next year, its current location at 17 Lamson St. could be converted into a public bathroom and shower facility. The city does not own this property, but committee member Stacie Pickford said that was a great idea.

Bradford Hutchinson, who said he's staying at a transitional shelter on Marlboro Street, said members need to hear more testimony from people who have personally experienced homelessness, like him, in order to understand how to help them.

"What I see here is a bunch of money people, sitting around, talking about what a good job you're doing and patting yourselves on the back," Hutchinson said. "You go out and talk to these people, listen to these people and you're going to hear something very different from what I hear coming out of your mouths ..."

Hansel told Hutchinson his concerns can be added to a future agenda, regarding improving shelter access and homeless case management.

Hunter Oberst can be reached at 355-8585, or hoberst@keenesentinel.com.