Federal housing education funding cuts do real damage: Commentary
Like all of New England and the rest of the country, New Hampshire is experiencing an unprecedented housing crisis as the gap between housing prices and wages continues to widen. In its 2026 report, New Hampshire Housing reports that the average home price in New Hampshire has reached $575,000. For renters, the increase is steeper: the average fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,824 per month, with local variations that can be even higher. In the Upper Valley, for example, a full-time worker would need to earn about $47 per hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. Given that the average “housing wage” in New Hampshire – the hourly wage a worker must earn to afford a rental at market rate without spending more than 30% of their income on housing – is $35.08, finding affordable housing is daunting. Late last month, Granite Staters looking to buy a home or rent a modest apartment took another hit from Washington. On September 25, just days before the end of the federal budget year, the White House announced the cancellation of $810 million in Congressionally appropriated funds for grant programs. As an eleventh-hour tactic, the administration has requested the cancellation
