Hassan tours Roosevelt East as Keene adds 30 affordable apartments

The project at the former Roosevelt School on Washington Street has converted the century-old building into 30 apartments for income-eligible tenants.

U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan visited Keene on Thursday to see Roosevelt East Apartments, a redevelopment she pointed to as an example of how older buildings can be turned into housing people can actually afford.

The project at the former Roosevelt School on Washington Street has converted the century-old building into 30 apartments for income-eligible tenants. Keene Housing worked with federal, state and local partners to complete the project, which combines multiple funding streams, including the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program, Community Development Block Grants and support from the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority.

The development also benefited from a $1 million congressional earmark secured by former U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster and $2 million arranged by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Keene Housing Executive Director Josh Meehan led the tour along with local officials and project partners. He said the redevelopment was designed to preserve the historic school while creating long-term affordable housing by converting public housing subsidies into project-based vouchers through the RAD program.

The building now includes 22 one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom units. Nine of the apartments were built with accessibility in mind, with features such as low-threshold showers, grab bars, accessible controls and outlets placed for residents using wheelchairs or walkers. Five units are set aside for people who have experienced homelessness, with support services available on site.

Demand for the project was far higher than supply. Keene Housing received 365 applications for the 30 apartments, including 97 from people who were homeless or at risk of losing housing.

Hassan also used the visit to talk about broader housing policy, including the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a Senate package she helped advance. She said the measure is intended to increase housing supply, lower costs and make it easier for families to buy homes.

She said one of the most common concerns she hears from New Hampshire residents is the difficulty of paying for housing, while large investment firms continue to buy up single-family homes and push prices higher. The legislation she described would bar major hedge funds and private equity companies from purchasing single-family houses, while also backing new middle-income housing, easing some regulatory hurdles, expanding manufactured housing, improving infrastructure in manufactured home communities, helping veterans learn about VA home loan benefits and simplifying rural housing development.

Hassan said she has also backed efforts to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and restore tax relief for middle-class buyers who pay mortgage insurance. After the tour, she said Roosevelt East shows what can happen when public and private partners work together and said New Hampshire needs many more projects like it.

Beyond housing, the project includes energy-saving upgrades such as air-source heat pumps and a rooftop solar array expected to produce more than 66,000 kilowatt-hours each year. Keene Housing says that fits with its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2035.

Work is already moving forward on Roosevelt West, a second building on the same property that is expected to open in 2027. When both buildings are finished, the site will hold 60 affordable apartments.

Project leaders also pointed to obstacles that have made new affordable housing harder to build, including supply chain problems, higher construction costs and federal Buy American rules. Meehan said some materials, including air-source heat pumps, have been harder to obtain and have slowed work, adding to expenses. He said continued flexibility from federal agencies would help keep projects on schedule.