A development on Vose Farm Road in Peterborough coming online this year will help address the lack of affordable housing in the region.

Vose Farm Residences, where ground was broken in October of last year, is a collaboration between Catholic Charities NH and the Town of Peterborough. It is down the road from  the former Eastern Mountain Sports location, and Phase I consists of 64 units, 59 of which will be designated as affordable. The proposal defines this as a rent cap of 30% of 80% of area median income, and 12  units are designated for under 50% of AMI, which will be known as voucher-based units.

Phase I includes 24 one-bedroom and 40 two-bedroom units, and according to Jeff Lefkovich, executive director of real estate and affordable housing development for Catholic Charities NH, units will be affordable for 40 years. Phase I is expected to be completed this winter, with  move-ins anticipated in late December or early January, and  “Things are on schedule,” said Todd Somero, site supervisor for Hutter Construction.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the area median income by household for the area between 2019 and 2023 averaged $97,319.

“The growing affordable housing shortage in the Monadnock region is placing significant strain on vulnerable populations, from seniors on fixed incomes to families on the brink of homelessness,” stated Tom Blonski, president and CEO of Catholic Charities NH, at the time of the groundbreaking. “Vose Farm Residences will provide critical relief, with the housing needed to help individuals and families build stable lives, while also stimulating the local economy and strengthening the fabric of the Monadnock community. This project symbolizes the collective power of people coming together for the common good.”

 The residences “will feature modern amenities, community meeting spaces, walking paths to the adjoining Contoocook River and resident-designed outdoor gathering and recreation areas,” according to Catholic Charities’ announcement in October. The project will also include social services to benefit residents, so as to “address key social determinants of health, such as financial literacy and essential life skills, equipping residents with the tools to address immediate challenges, build self-sufficiency and create sustainable success.”

“The groundbreaking at Vose Farms (marked) a significant milestone towards providing affordable housing options for Peterborough,” said Rob Dapice, CEO and executive director of New Hampshire Housing. 

In March 2024, Lefkovich  informed Peterborough that it was seeking $640,000 in grant funding – $10,000 per unit – with InvestNH. As explained on the state’s Business and Economic Affairs website, “InvestNH is funded through the state’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), making $100 million available to accelerate the approval and construction of affordable workforce housing in New Hampshire.” 

Earlier this month, Catholic Charities NH announced its efforts for Phase II of the project.

Lefkovich conveyed that the nonprofit was again “seeking $10,000 per unit in support of new affordable apartments, with 28 of the projected 32 to be “rent-capped for households earning 60-80% of the AMI” and the $280,000 to be used directly for construction costs. The town applied for the InvestNH grant for Phase I, and the Select Board recently gave Town Planner Danica Melone permission to apply for a grant for Phase II.

Lefkovich noted that “the development will still be governed by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designated rent and income caps, a Land Use Restriction Agreement  (LURA) resident service coordination and other policies modeled on those established by New Hampshire Housing.” The units in Phase II are equally divided into one- and two-bedroom apartments.

To help the project along, last summer Catholic Charities received $625,000 in tax credits from New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority to help fund the construction project. Lefkovich said last summer that the nonprofit looked at 19 towns when considering a site for this project.

“I thought [Peterborough] had potential – to repurpose an existing long-vacant office project, as well having enough acreage to be able to get a sizable housing project developed,” Lefkovich said. 

Monadnock Community Hospital could also be part of the project.

“Workforce housing has been a priority for the Monadnock Community Hospital’s board of trustees and leadership as we recognize that affordable housing is vital to support the many essential employees needed to keep our community strong. Housing was identified as a top priority in the hospital’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, and we have been supporting efforts in our community surrounding affordable housing. MCH is exploring a relationship with Catholic Charities regarding their project to build 96 affordable housing units in Peterborough,” hospital President and CEO Cyndee McGuire stated.

Legacy Mechanical Services of Concord is handling the plumbing for the project, and Kurt Goodwin of Legacy was on-site Monady to endorse the firm’s involvement in the project. 

“Anytime you can do something that helps people get into housing, especially these days, I’m all for it,” he said.