Democratic Housing Hypocrisy
In a recent Op-Ed titled “First Bill from NH Committee on Housing Harms Renters. We Need to Do Better,” State Representatives Jaci Grote (D-Rye & Greenland) and Jim Maggiore (D-North Hampton) criticized the Housing Committee’s actions. However, before lecturing others on housing policy, they should take a hard look at their own districts.
According to the Directory of Assisted Housing in New Hampshire (published by New Hampshire Housing), here’s how many assisted housing units exist in the towns they represent:
- Rye: 22 units (all age-restricted)
- Greenland: 0 units
- North Hampton: 0 units
That’s a total of 22 units for a combined population of 14,300 residents—a mere 1.54 units per 1,000 residents.
Compare that to Portsmouth, which has 863 assisted housing units for its 23,000 residents, or 38 units per 1,000 residents. That means Portsmouth has 25 times more assisted housing per capita than Rye, Greenland, and North Hampton combined.
If Representatives Grote and Maggiore truly believe, “We can do better,” they should start by addressing the lack of affordable housing in their own communities. Housing is a regional issue, and every town must do its fair share.
It’s time for the political class to stop pointing fingers and start leading by example.
