HB432

The NH Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) is currently administering the Recovery Housing Program, which is a pilot program deploying federal resources in New Hampshire to help increase the availability of stable, temporary housing to individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder. There is critical need for recovery housing in New Hampshire and these federal funds aim to help alleviate the significant shortage of this type of housing across the state. CDFA is supportive of House Bill 432, which would provide clarity to New Hampshire municipalities on how they may support the development of recovery housing in their communities.

I am a person in long term recovery whose life was changed drastically due to the availability of sober living in my local area. I am now 7 years clean and sober, due to the safe and productive atmosphere that was available to me through sober living.

Ladies and gentlemen, My name is Shawn Cannizzaro. My girlfriend Melissa and I own and operate Hope 2 Freedom Recovery Homes in Claremont. We opened our first recovery home on January 31st 2022. We wanted to open our second one in the middle of 2022. We were informed we had to go in front of the zoning board and apply for a variance because we wanted to house more than five unrelated people in a single family house. The City of Claremont was and is still great and very supportive recovery housing. We were working together, helping each other,learning from each other, but that was a lengthy process. While we were going through the zoning board proceedings my girlfriend Melissa and I received close to 12 phone calls from females looking for sober living/recovery housing. We had to turn them away because we weren't approved at the time. The point of all this is, I have no idea where those women are now. Some of them could be dead because they didn't have a safe place to go. If we have one clear definition of what recovery housing is, alot more lives will be saved by not having to go through the long grueling process of zoning board hearings, applying for variances and taking time off of work.

I own a few houses in several towns in New Hampshire. Mostly in the north country. We need uniform expectations across towns and cities so that the smaller municipalities in particular have guidelines that are consistent as many just don’t know what to do so they either do “nothing” or “everything”. It’s also important that as stable housing is the goal that people aren’t “cast out” or set aside to certain areas of town it is harder to acquire resources like transportation esp above Laconia and north. As people seek to improve their lives they need to be welcomed back into society.

I am employed as a Social Worker in NH, and I know that first hand we don’t have enough recovery housing (for people with substance use disorders and mental illness) options, especially for those with Medicare insurance.

Bad things can happen to good people. On the road to recovery we need to help people stay clean and safe. Please support.

As a mental health practitioner, I have worked directly with individuals in recovery and their families. My coworkers and I have experienced the frustration of witnessing setbacks in our clients' recovery due to an inadequate infrastructure to address the rampant problem of housing affordability in our beautiful state. It is easy to pigeonhole the problem as incumbent upon the individual in recovery alone to overcome, but it touches whole communities and continues forward into the next generations. Recovery is not just a choice in an individual's journey, if we wish to be true stewards of our communities and society than we also need to stretch out an arm of compassion for the ones who are demonstrating their will to live a better life.

I support this bill as it will allow towns to easily understand recovery housing needs especially around zoning. This has been problematic throughout NH. To have a definition for recovery housing will help to eliminate the difficulties recovery homes face in many of our small towns. I have owned and operated recovery housing in NH for over 12 years and this definition is the best I’ve seen in the past few versions. Thank you for your service and for your attention to this matter.

I support this bill to assist granite staters making the difficult effort to maintain their sobriety. Housing can be a huge barrier to continued recovery and NH should support individual towns and cities develop the housing resources they need. I would love to see more people be able to stay close to their communities in certified recovery homes instead of needing to travel to a different part of the state for recovery housing. Every available bed help.

Helping towns and municipalities create housing for those in recovery greatly increases the chance people will recover and become productive members of society. Help is just that, help. It is not a hand out. We need to give our citizens every chance to succeed.

Recovery is a priority, and the safety of housing is key to recovery.

Recovery Housing is saving lives, and there is not enough of it, ESPECIALLY in the rural parts of the state. Even in Manchester, where everyone comes to get recovery services, there is not enough of a supply for the demand. More is needed.

Dear Committee Members, I live in Manchester and read the many complaints of my fellow community members regarding homelessness, and the public behaviors of people who are unhoused and or addicted to substances. Here is a reframing of our story. If I want to become a professed Roman Catholic nun, the very first actions required of me are to leave my surrounds, and to live within the community of sisterhood. This is so that I can learn the life rules of the particular order I'm joining. More importantly, it provides me with a supportive environment in which to develop the self-regulation skills I need in letting go of my prior path in life. If I want to join a military branch, I begin with a minimum 8-week regimen of extensive training that requires significant development of self-discipline. Both paths are rigorous and involve entering into a specific support setting apart from how I had been living in order to make the changes needed. It is exactly the same kind of model that helps people achieve and maintain sobriety. Thus, appropriate Recovery Housing MUST be the first element provided, if the remainder of the recovery program is to have a fair chance at succeeding. Though many community members do not realize it, Recovery Housing is a baseline necessity and asset, not a liability. Please SUPPORT HB432 and vote OUGHT TO PASS. Thank you

We NEED more housing!

Access to housing remains one of the greatest obstacles for people facing substance misuse. Recovery housing provides a safe and healthy living environment and is associated with many positive outcomes including decreased rates of substance use, lower chances of reoccurrence, and reduced rates of incarceration. Would we not want to provide this and support HB 432? Please DO! Note that recent years have shown an increase in certified recovery homes across the state; nonetheless, the number of available beds still falls short of community needs. A lack of clarity around zoning and fire regulations has also restricted the development of these essential resources. HB 432 would address these issues by providing cities and towns with clear guidelines, allowing them to support the development of recovery housing and help our state combat the ongoing addiction crisis. Please SUPPORT HB 432. Thank you and have a great day.

I support this bill to help establish more recovery housing in NH. If we are going to assist those needing and seeking recovery, a simple 30-day program will not suffice. We need a longer term plan including recovery housing to ramp up those wanting to recover over a longer period of time. This has proven to be effective and meaningful to the recovered and results in a more successful recovery.

Honorable Committee Members, I'm reaching out to you in my capacity as Alderman At Large for the City of Nashua amd Chairman of our Planning and Economic Development Committee. I believe the City of Nashua would benefit from more clarity around zoning and fire regulation for sober homes. I hope you can support this bill. With Respect, Hon. Melbourne Moran Jr. Alderman At Large Chairman PEDC City of Nashua

This bill will clarify guidelines and definitions to enhance development of recovery housing,

In New Hampshire, access to housing remains one of the greatest obstacles for people facing substance misuse. Recovery housing is important for individuals with substance use disorder because it provides a safe and healthy living environment. Data shows that access to recovery housing is associated with positive outcomes including decreased rates of substance use, lower chances of reoccurrence, and reduced rates of incarceration. Recent years have shown an increase in certified recovery homes across the state, but there are still not nearly enough available beds to meet the needs of our communities. Cities and towns play a critical role in expanding access to recovery housing. In Manchester, we have seen that a lack of clarity around zoning and fire regulations for recovery homes has restricted the development of these essential resources. HB 432 would address these issues by providing cities and towns with clear guidelines that align with existing state regulations for other residential homes. This would allow them to support the development of much-needed recovery housing and help New Hampshire combat the ongoing addiction crisis. I urge you to support this bill.

Having served on a Board of a non-profit for a drop-in Center for people with substance misuse I personally have seen the impact on people's lives who continue to use and then on people's lives who come into recovery. We need to support prevention and aftercare so that we can help to steer people in the right direction. Alcoholism and drug addiction is a health issue not a moral one.

Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives State House 107 N. Main Street Concord, NH 03301 Dear Honorable Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, I am writing to express my strong support for House Bill 432, which seeks to amend RSA 153:10-d, II, and RSA 674:17 to provide clearer and more supportive definitions and guidelines for recovery houses in New Hampshire. This legislation is a vital step toward ensuring that individuals in recovery from addiction have access to safe, supportive, and substance-free environments that promote long-term recovery. As someone who has been in recovery for over 35 years I am deeply invested in the well-being of our community, I recognize the importance of providing individuals in recovery with stable housing options that foster healing and growth. HB 432 defines "recovery house" as a residence that supports individuals in recovery, offering a family-like, substance-free living environment that prioritizes peer support and connection to services essential for sustaining recovery. This definition aligns with the principles of effective recovery housing and will help create clarity for both residents and local communities. Furthermore, I fully support the provisions in the bill that ensure recovery houses are treated in zoning ordinances as single-family, 2-family, or multi-family structures, without being subject to additional permitting or approval processes that are not required of other similar residential uses. This aspect of HB 432 recognizes the essential role recovery housing plays in our communities and helps to eliminate unnecessary barriers that could hinder the establishment of these supportive living environments. The requirement for recovery houses to be certified or actively pursuing certification provides an important safeguard to ensure that they meet the necessary standards for operation, while still respecting the rights of local governments to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. The 30-day written notification requirement also fosters transparency and communication between recovery house operators and local governing bodies. I believe that HB 432 will have a profound positive impact on the recovery community in New Hampshire, providing a foundation of support and stability that will help individuals on their path to long-term sobriety. I urge you to support this bill and help make New Hampshire a place where people in recovery can thrive. Thank you for your attention to this important issue. I appreciate your leadership and commitment to improving the lives of individuals in recovery across our state. Sincerely, Cheryle Pacapelli