Special Board of Aldermen 12-21-2021 Page 3
actually captured and memorialized in the ordinance before you that we asked for your favorable recommendation on.
Thank you.
Chairman Tencza
Thank you Director Cummings. So we will be also talking about this at the Planning and Economic Development
Committee meeting following this Board of Aldermen meeting. So we'll hold any questions from the Board until then.
So right now, I'm going to open up the public hearing. As is the usual practice, we're going to take testimony in favor
of the ordinance then testimony in opposition. Again, a chance for testimony in favor and finally a chance for
testimony in opposition to the ordinance. So | will start with the people in the chamber here. Is there anyone here
who would like to offer testimony in favor of O-21-073?
TESTIMONY IN FAVOR
Bob Keating
My name is Bob Keating from 5 Coburn Woods. I’m a member of Unitarian Universalist Church and Granite State
Organizing Project. | want to speak in favor of this ordinance. I’m thankful to say a very thorough process.
Appreciate the Community Development Office and Economic Development. There was lots of opportunities for
obviously the Aldermen and the public at large for this. We think this is a step forward. Clearly the ordinance as
written currently was not providing the incentive for developers to build and | think with this being a required process,
obviously that's going to make a significant difference.
We did lobby for a period of time and advocate for rental housing at the 50 units to move to 60% but we think at this
point, we will just wholeheartedly support this and hoping as this gets passed and we move forward that we'll be able
to change some of the income targets on it. Just appreciate this. It's not going to end all and be all for, you know,
affordable housing but it is a step forward and just appreciate all the work to make this happen.
Chairman Tencza
Thank you. Anyone else in the chamber who would like to offer testimony in favor of O-21-073? Please come up to
the microphone.
Kristy Basada
Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Kristy Basada. | live at 12 Nutmeg Drive in
Nashua. | am also Clergy serving Main Street United Methodist Church in Nashua and I'm representing the Greater
Nashua Interfaith Housing Justice Group as well as the Nashua Chapter of the Granite State Organizing Project.
| am here to throw my full weight behind the passage of this amendment to inclusionary zoning. As a former frontline
worker and program manager serving families who were struggling with housing instability in Nashua, | have
personally witnessed how the soaring housing costs in the city have contributed to the cost burdening of our families
and have also contributed to homelessness. This legislation in its current form will ensure the creation of more
housing for people who live and work in our community. What this bill actually does in real dollar figures is to support
housing that is affordable to singles making $56,000 to $80,000 a year as well as families of four earning in the
bracket of $70,000 to $110,000 a year. These households are contributing to our community. They deserve to be
able to grow and thrive in our community while supporting the local economy and they are already cost burdened by
the soaring cost of housing.
| come before you also to say that this should not be the last step in creating affordable housing in Nashua, though it
is an extremely important step and | urge you to continue to consider and approve programs that support housing for
other workforce housing projects. | congratulate you for bringing mandatory inclusionary zoning forward and | thank
you for all the work that has come from Urban Programs and Planning and Economic Development. | urge you to
continue to do this challenging good work of creating housing for the people who live, work, and play in this
community. Thank you again for the opportunity to comment.
Chairman Tencza
Thank you. Anyone else in the chamber who would like to offer testimony in favor of O-21-073?
