PROJECTS

Increase Affordable Housing

For a healthy, thriving local community, having housing available across income levels is vital.  Having housing options affordable to our childcare workers, medical workers, professionals, people with limited income, young adults, families and seniors, truly benefits us all. Enough housing is an important foundation to a healthy economy; and morally and spiritually, we feel called to work towards everyone having a place to live! 

Currently, this has led to 3 housing related focus areas for MIP. 

    1. Housing Development Fund: MIP is working on a campaign to create a regional Housing Development Fund to expand housing options. These Funds receive public or private sector monies in the form of direct investments or low interest loans. The Fund would grant or loan these monies to support the production and preservation of affordable housing, and increase opportunities for people to access safe, decent, affordable homes. MIP is working with leaders in the public and private sector on this effort.
    2. Expanding options to people experiencing homelessness: MIP Faith leaders were part of a larger call to the City of Keene in Spring 2022, to grapple with challenges people face that are camping in the woods, experiencing homelessness. MIP spoke out at hearings and once the city formed an Ad Hoc Committee, got a representative on this committee. A delegation from MIP attended each Committee meeting, and regularly spoke up in the public comment period and wrote Letters to the Editor about the Committee’s work. We are pleased that the Committee recommendations are strong and compassionate, including calling for a legal parking area, a systemic approach to supporting people released from the hospital or jail without a home, and more discretion for city staff to support people camping outside. The next phase will be working with the City and local stakeholders to carry out the plans laid out in the report.  

      3. Zoning Changes:       Zoning regulations are an important part of the housing environment. MIP leaders are active in the ongoing efforts in Keene to change zoning ordinances to allow for expanding housing options. The City is looking at changes in each district of Keene. In Fall of 2022, MIP leaders spoke out at hearings and engaged people to provide written feedback to the City.
      On November 17, the Keene City Council passed proposed rural zoning changes by a vote of 12-2, expanding opportunities for housing development in the rural district while maintaining and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. In addition, these zoning changes will promote community goals related to workforce housing, open space preservation and renewable energy.

       

      MIP will continue to be active in zoning conversations in Keene and in other towns. These are important local decisions that underlay the ability to expand housing options.

Faith Leader Convenings *

MIP convenes monthly faith leader meetings from across the Monadnock region to build relationships, reflect on our various faith traditions’ call to social justice, to take action together, and to create interfaith opportunities. 

Since the formation of the group, MIP faith leaders have spoken out in support of COVID 19 vaccines, spoken out to condemn bigotry and for love for everyone, and have provided leadership in the efforts to expand options for people experiencing homelessness.   

It has been an important space for reflecting, sharing, and support. If your congregation would like to join these meaningful conversations, please reach out to us at Monadnockinterfaith@gmail.com. We’d love to have you join us!

*While MIP has ongoing campaigns, we also have a culture of stepping forward in key moments to react to what is happening locally. 

 

MIP faith leaders meet with Keene, NH Mayor George Hansel and Cheshire County Sheriff Eli Rivera to discuss progress on  diversity, equity and social justice in Keene and the greater Monadnock region.

An open invitation to You!

If you are inspired by any of these stories and would like to join us in our work to make our region a more inviting and just place, we’d love to have you.  If you would like to be part of these efforts personally, or with your congregation or organization, please reach out to us!

Contact: MonadnockInterfaith@gmail.com

MIP Faith Leaders represent a Faith voice on local Task Forces

Clergy are active in several local task forces in the area, bringing a faith and moral perspective. Rev. Mike Kennedy, pastor at the Keene Church of the Nazarene  is the MIP representative on the Keene Task Force on Community Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging. Several clergy attend a task force focused on creating a Trauma Informed Community. We are grateful to have a faith perspective represented in these important spaces, and these clergy help keep faith leaders in the region connected to these important efforts.

 

MIP applauds Keene City Hall for opening its restrooms to the public during business hours, 2022.

Public Restrooms in Keene, NH

In 2019 MIP held a Make a Difference Leadership Series for low-income individuals in conjunction with The Community Kitchen of Keene. The participants in that training identified public restroom access as an issue for residents and visitors to Keene. MIP’s advocacy in local media and with city officials resulted in the Keene City Council including plans for public restrooms in the city improvement plan.

Craig Dallas Rice’s song We All Gotta Go is his creative effort inspired by the Make a Difference workshops and subsequent MIP public toilet advocacy.