Affordable Housing in Harrisville
An in-depth look at HHI’s mission
This is part six of a seven-part series that explores Historic Harrisville's core programs—preservation, affordable housing, conservation, green energy, the HHI Archives, and the Harrisville General Store.
One of the things that allows Harrisville to THRIVE as a real, vibrant, living community is Historic Harrisville’s affordable housing program.
A Tradition of Rental Housing
The availability of affordable rental housing is part of the historic tradition of the mill village. The mill-owners built housing so that people could come to Harrisville for work. By providing housing, and in some cases both "room and board," they were able to attract workers from other places.
As was true in the nineteenth century: “New Hampshire’s lack of affordable housing is a substantial labor force and economic constraint. Workers who cannot find or afford suitable housing are limited in their ability to move into and around New Hampshire for employment.” (NHFPI, August 2023)
Historic Harrisville aims to maintain the essential character of Harrisville as a village where people live and work. People are most engaged in their community when they live where they work. Therefore, we believe it is critical that we make every effort to ensure that those who work (and want to work) in Harrisville can live here.
In addition to three boarding houses in the village (two of which exist today), the mill companies built houses that were rented to their employees so that they could live and work in Harrisville. The houses on Kadakit Street, including this one, were built by the Harris Mill Company, while those on Peanut Row and School Street were constructed by the Cheshire Mills Company.
How HHI Affordable Housing Works
To enable people who work in Harrisville to live here, HHI owns twelve units of rental housing. We utilize a two-tier rental system, in which tenants who work in Harrisville—and whose household income is below 80% of median family income for Cheshire County— receive a 20% discount on their rent, while those who don't work in Harrisville or whose income is higher pay market rent.
Of HHI's twelve residential units, five currently house employees of Historic Harrisville, three house employees of Harrisville Designs, and one houses an employee of the Town of Harrisville. One house is rented to a family that doesn’t work in Harrisville, but whose children attend the local schools. The remaining apartments are rented to residents who retired from work in Harrisville.
Nine of our twelve tenants are currently eligible for and receiving HHI’s 20% affordable housing discount. As a result, HHI is effectively providing $1,985 in internal rent subsidies each month, or $23,820 each year. If all 12 of our tenants were eligible for the affordable housing discount, the annual subsidy would be $34,270 each year based on current rental rates.
With grant funding from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and 1772 Foundation, HHI was able to put a new roof on the Twitchell House this fall. The oldest house in Harrisville, this building provides two units of affordable rental housing.
Five of HHI's twelve residential rentals are occupied by Historic Harrisville staff, including Madison and Paula (who is also retired from her former job at the Harrisville Post Office), shown left and center, here. Four more units provide housing to individuals who work for Harrisville Designs and the Town of Harrisville.
The Harris Boarding House (top left) is owned by Historic Harrisville and provides three units of affordable rental housing.
Donate to Support Affordable Housing
During this annual fundraising appeal, we aim to raise $23,000 to cover the 20% rental subsidy provided to 9 residential tenants in Historic Harrisville’s affordable housing program in 2024.
In this time when real estate prices are soaring, and the high demand for housing drives rental prices up, it is increasingly difficult for people to find housing in the area. HHI aims to continue to increase its ownership of rental housing in Harrisville by purchasing and/or rehabilitating suitable properties as they become available.
Let’s talk about historic preservation – the heart of Historic Harrisville’s mission-driven work. Generally speaking, the term "historic preservation" includes four possible “treatments” for historic properties. Rehabilitation and preservation are actively used in Harrisville, while restoration and reconstruction are less common.