City Council and Planning Board Hear Portsmouth Listens Community "Places to Live" Report

The City of Portsmouth has engaged Portsmouth Listens to facilitate a series of community participation events about Places to Live in the City. This effort is to listen to and inform the community about housing concerns. Events will be held in January and February 2024 to discuss existing places to live, challenges in accessing them, ways to create more, and the impacts of doing so.

Participants discussed the community’s housing needs in depth and developed recommendations for the City to meet those needs in an effective and equitable manner. The 14 groups made presentations on their Places to Live discussions at a joint City Council/Planning Board Work Session on February 22, 2024.

The Places to Live series began with “Housing 101” on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Following this kick-off event, participants deliberated in small groups called “study circles” with a trained facilitator to understand the issues and develop solutions. These conversations were not about specific housing types, properties, or demographic groups. Instead, conversations were designed to broaden understanding of the character and variety of existing housing, and the needs and choices of places to live for all current and future members of the Portsmouth community. Insights from these sessions will be presented at a community-wide event to be held in February.

For more information visit: PortsmouthListens.org or portsnh.co/placestolive, or contact Howard Snyder, Housing Navigator in the City’s Planning & Sustainability Department at hasnyder@cityofportsmouth.com.

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