Amy Capone Muccio

I am a Board of Directors member for Hearthstone Homes of Wolfeboro (a nonprofit) that has property valued over $1 million dollars. Affordable and subsidized housing in Wolfeboro is a vital lifeline for seniors on fixed incomes, particularly as rental costs in the Lakes Region continue to climb, pricing seniors right out of their community. Hearthstone Homes of Wolfeboro operates specifically to provide low- and moderate-income housing for the elderly. Hearthstone Homes hires a property management company to manage 70+ units, and it has been a community non-profit since the properties were built. Properties like these represent more than just buildings; they are "community assets" because they allow residents (many of them who have lived in Wolfeboro for decades) to remain in their hometown even after retiring or losing a spouse. Seniors living at these properties have the ability to transition from no longer being able to handle the physical and/or financial demands to care for a single-family home (e.g., snow removal, lawn care, heating costs) to live independent living with the safety net of a managed community.