Melinda Asbury, MD, PhD

As both the Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer of a NH-based Community Mental Healthcare Center, I can attest first-hand to the severe and grave consequences when a client with mental health is evicted from their property. A large body of evidence supports the principle of "Housing First" for individuals with serious mental health and/or substance use disorder. These studies demonstrate that stable housing is superior to symptom/illness treatment in terms of overall and long=term wellness. To lose housing sets a patient's recovery and functioning back by months to years, which not only has dire consequences for the individual but also for our state in terms of expense associated with long-term hospitalization, increased use of emergency services, and loss of workforce in some situations. The eviction itself, once applied, makes securing future housing almost impossible, as virtually no landlord will rent to someone with a prior eviction, especially in a housing market as competitive as the one in NH. By increasing the time of eviction from 30 to 60 days not only allows tenants more time to find housing, but it also REDUCES THE RISK of a formal eviction. This would allow someone to vacate the property prior to the eviction taking effect, and thus circumventing a history of formal eviction. Avoiding a formal eviction would afford the individual higher odds of finding future housing. Humanity is another reason to extend the time from 30 to 60 days. Individuals with mental illness are, by definition, a vulnerable population. The humane thing to do in this scenario is to vote yes to this bill to protect our most vulnerable population in our communities.