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Our Planning Coordinator Angela Cleveland connected with Becky Colpitts of Littleton Food Co-op about the Food Co-op model and the North Country Food and Agriculture Council's efforts to create a resilient food system in the North Country.
| Photo Credit: Angie Cleveland | | |
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North Country Council Annual Commission Meeting
Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 4:00 to 6:00 pm
The FY 2025 Budget will be reviewed & approved.
Full agenda coming soon.
The meeting will be at the AHEAD Conference room
located at 262 Cottage Street, Littleton, NH.
Please use the button below to RSVP no later than Tuesday, July 23rd by 4 pm.
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Click the image below to complete the survey now! | |
Northern Border Regional Commission | |
North Country Council will offer
Catalyst Project Development Assistance for the fall round!
Don't wait. Start now!
Email mmoren@nccouncil.org today for a coaching session.
Next Round Fall Pre-Applications Due September 6, 2024
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Housing Ready Project - Funding Available! | |
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The North Country Council is pleased to announce that we have launched the Housing Ready Project with grant funds from Congresswoman Kuster's office to work with communities in the region as they address their housing challenges. This grant will allow us to work one-on-one with communities to craft a project that will improve access to diverse and affordable housing options. This technical assistance and planning work can be completed in one or more categories:
1) education; 2) capacity building; and/or 3) implementation.
Potential projects include, but are not limited to:
- Increasing local knowledge of housing needs, development process, and importance;
- Working with the business community to explore and implement creative workforce housing techniques;
- Reviewing existing ordinances and regulations applicable to housing development to possible amendments to support the creation of more housing;
- Exploring suitable locations for the development of housing that is affordable and accessible to local residents; and
- Facilitating design charrettes to unify and engage the community around the topic of housing and its benefits to the community.
We have funding to work directly with five (5) communities and are asking communities to reach out with their ideas by June 14th. We highly recommend that you submit your ideas or schedule a call by that date so we can allocate the limited funds that we received.
Reach out today to set up a 30-minute consultation with
Angela Cleveland, Program Coordinator:
acleveland@nccouncil.org or 603-444-6303 x 2031.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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Yet again, in April 2024, the median home price in NH hit an all-time high at $515,000. There is still a high demand for housing and a lack of inventory. In early April, it was observed that under 1,300 single-family homes were for sale in the state. Looking back to May 2015, there were 10,000 single-family homes on the market.
There is also a rising concern for those employed or looking for jobs in NH. From police officers to receptionists, without housing, we are missing crucial employees in our workforce. Restrictive zoning can also hamper the construction of housing. One piece of legislation is Senate Bill 158, also known as the HOMEnibus bill, which would make it easier for communities and developers to convert commercial real estate buildings into residential housing.
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Results from the 2024 real estate first quarter reports show that NH has too much office space for rent, few residential houses for sale, and a stabilizing trend for industrial/warehouse space.
- The median prices of single-family homes reached a historic high in March and rose even further to $515,000 in April 2024.
- On the commercial side, there have been higher vacancies in office buildings due to post-COVID hybrid work and changing company sizes, resulting in a 13.1% vacancy rate.
- Unlike a typical supply-and-demand market, the overall price of office buildings is rising despite vacancy rates rising as well.
- The NH Industrial market is stabilizing due to new construction and company consolidation. The 2024 quarter ended with a vacancy rate above 4%.
The problem still remains... there's a shortage of available housing and at attainable prices which continues to make homeownership more difficult than ever for locals.
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The Push for Better Public Transit in New Hampshire | | |
Poorly Maintained Roads Disproportionately
Impact Low-Income Communities
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A new study from UMass Amherst reveals that poorly maintained roads significantly affect residents in low-income communities across Massachusetts. Focusing on neighborhoods in western Massachusetts, such as Springfield and Holyoke, the study, led by Jessica Boakye, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, shows that the quality of roads in communities influences gas consumption and overall quality of life. Boakye highlights the historical impact of redlining, which has trapped minority communities in a cycle of poor housing and inadequate infrastructure maintenance.
This issue resonates with northern New Hampshire, where many low-income areas face similar challenges. Poor road conditions increase vehicle maintenance costs and gas consumption and contribute to broader socio-economic disparities; by understanding and addressing these infrastructure deficiencies, communities in northern NH can advocate for equitable road maintenance policies, potentially influencing state lawmakers to prioritize investments in these underserved regions.
Photo Credit: Canva
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FWHA Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP): OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS | |
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The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration has announced that the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) is now open for applications. These grants will allocate up to $44.5 million in funding to enhance safety and accessibility for bicycling, walking, and public transit access. The deadline for applications is Monday, June 17th.
This initiative prioritizes building connected active pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that aims to improve connectivity between communities and promote healthier, more sustainable transportation options. The funding will aid in planning, designing, and constructing safe and connected active transportation networks, including sidewalks, bikeways, and trails.
Visit the FHWA website here to read the full press release and sign up for the webinars. Applications can be submitted here.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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It's that time of year again!
Local Traffic Count Collection season has begun!
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North Country Council staff are out there placing traffic counter units at our regular NHDOT-directed locations, but are also able to place counters at locally-directed locations. | |
Does your community have any traffic data collection
needs we can assist with?
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Please let us know if there are any locations that your community is interested in collecting data on, including what time of season and how long they should be placed at those locations. North Country Council is here to help with your data collection needs and other transportation planning activities. | |
Contact Nicholas Altonaga, Transportation Planner, at naltonaga@nccouncil.org if you have any questions or want to learn more. | |
Grafton Regional Development Corporation Helps Small Businesses | |
Celebrating Resiliency Planning | |
For the past four years, the North Country Council has led economic and community resiliency efforts around the region with the support of two Economic Development Administration grants. This work, led by Stacey Doll, the Council's Community Resiliency Planner, has allowed the North Country Council to bring together and provide backbone support to industries and organizations that saw the benefit of working collectively on challenges that affect everyone and co-create solutions that support everyone. As we wrap up our final grant and resiliency work and say a grateful goodbye and best wishes to Stacey, we wanted to take a moment to share with you the work that has been completed, contacts for work underway, and the tools available to you to continue resiliency planning in the region.
Through these grants, North Country Council helped create:
- North Country Rising, an economic and community recovery and resiliency plan developed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic through focus groups, key informant interviews, and public engagement events. www.nccouncil.org/focus-areas/resiliency-emergency-planning/north-country-rising/
- The North Country Food and Agriculture Council is made up of partners around the region working on food access and equity, resiliency in the supply chain and workforce, and promoting local food and produce. They host online lunch and learns, focusing on strategic planning and programs for the region, and host an annual food and agriculture summit. For more information, contact Becky Colpitts at bcolpitts@littletonfoodcoop.org
- The North Country Arts Collaborative is made up of artists and art organizations from around the region. The Arts Collaborative has held a community input session and a strategic planning session to identify tasks and projects that support the resiliency of the arts, strengthen relationships between artists and other organizations, and create platforms for shared event calendars and cultural opportunities. For more information, contact Lynne Grigelevich at lynne@theatreupnh.org
- The North Country Climate Collaborative is made up of environmental, energy, and climate partners around the region who worked together to create the North Country Climate Resiliency Guide (see article below) https://climate-resiliency-nccouncil.hub.arcgis.com/
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Arts for Community Engagement (ACE) Grants | |
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The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts is now accepting applications for ACE project grants. ACE grants support community enrichment and public benefit by providing access to high-quality arts events and activities presented by community-based organizations, Main Street programs, and municipalities. A wide range of activities across a variety of artistic disciplines are eligible for funding, including:
- performances,
- exhibits,
- workshops,
- community arts programming, and
- collaborative public art projects.
The goals of this funding category are to engage and benefit NH residents and communities through the arts, especially people who are underserved or under-represented; encourage collaborative and cross-sector community partnerships; stimulate local economies through cultural tourism and the arts; and enhance the vibrancy of NH communities and quality of life for NH citizens.
This grant funds up to $8k for projects occurring December 1, 2024- November 30, 2025. Match is not required. The deadline to apply is June 28, 2024.
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If you have any question please reach out at info@nccouncil.org and a member of our team will connect with you! | |
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Where should you start?
North Country Council can help you connect to and navigate various federal, state, local, and foundation opportunities to find the right fit for your project and community.
Our staff has experience in programs such as USDA, CDBG, EDA, and NBRC. Our team's experience with project development, grant writing, and grant administration or compliance with federal grant regulations can help drive your project toward success.
Reach out today!
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