Facing the Unseen: A Call for Community Action on Homelessness in Peterborough and Surrounding Areas

 By Odette Butler, Executive Director of The River Center
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As the Executive Director of The River Center, I have used this platform to introduce our staff and highlight the incredible work they do. Today, I am pausing that series to bring attention to an issue that has been increasingly impossible to ignore: homelessness in Peterborough and the surrounding areas that are served by the River Center such as Dublin, Greenfield, Jaffrey, Mason, New Ipswich, Rindge, Sharon and Temple.

While I understand that many in these communities have already engaged in important conversations around this issue, I want to share the perspective of someone newly stepping into both this role and this region. From where I sit, it feels like we, as a community, are still falling short of addressing the real and urgent needs of our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness.

At The River Center, we see the human face of this crisis very often. Families, many of whom have done everything right as far as accessing the systems available, come to our door asking for help. They’ve accessed available resources. They’ve followed the protocols. And yet, after eight months or more of searching for a home, they still can’t secure a place to live due to the severe housing shortage in our region.
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Do you know what happens when a family exhausts the maximum stay allowed at a shelter? They’re turned away, because the shelter must make room for others. And then what? Where do they go? Too often, the answer is: nowhere safe.

In our small towns, homelessness is easy to overlook. There are no tent cities lining the streets, no clusters of people asking for change on the sidewalk. But just because it isn't visible doesn't mean it isn’t here. Rural homelessness often wears a different face: families sleeping in their cars, young people couch surfing, individuals pitching tents in the woods because there is nowhere else to go. These are our neighbors, real people who are sitting in your pew at church, volunteering at the local food pantry, or walking their kids to school from a borrowed floor mat in a friend’s basement.

I do know of some wonderful housing projects that are working hard to respond to the shortage crisis. For example, Catholic Charities is developing  64 units in the first phase of an affordable housing project that will ultimately create 94 units in Peterborough that will serve 225 individuals. The applications are out and move in should start in January 2026. The project will serve individuals of low income households and will include an on-site Resident Services Coordinator that will direct residents to services and programs. The development is responsive to the significant need for affordable housing, crisis care for mental health, and affordable health care for low-income families.  We also have The Peterborough Affordable Housing Committee that directly influences local housing policies and development decisions. These initiatives are vital, and I am sure there are other similar efforts I am not aware of. The problem is they don’t solve the urgent, immediate crisis. They don’t help families with no income or those who need shelter tonight, or before the snow flies again this winter. I need something concrete to tell the people who come to us after every available resource has been exhausted. If you have solutions for that, let’s talk—over lunch, if you like.

We cannot accept this as our new normal. We must do better.

This cannot be an unsolvable problem. Other small communities across the country are finding creative ways to care for their most vulnerable residents. Here are a few ideas we might consider as a community:

1. Create a Coordinated Local Response
We need a unified plan involving nonprofits, town government, faith organizations, landlords, and concerned citizens. A system-wide task force could centralize efforts and advocate for state-level resources.
2. Expand Transitional Housing Options
Support initiatives like transitional housing pods, adaptive reuse of underutilized buildings (like former motels or schools), or locally funded housing subsidies for families waiting on permanent housing.
3. Develop a Local Homelessness Resource Fund in addition to what we already have
A flexible fund supported by local donors, businesses, and grants could help cover emergency housing needs beyond what’s already available.
4. Educate Ourselves and Our Neighbors
Awareness is key. Host forums, read reports, listen to lived experiences. Let’s challenge the myth that homelessness “doesn’t exist here.” It does and it looks different.
5. Show Compassion in Small Ways
Volunteer with or donate to organizations already doing this work—The River Center, MATS (Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter), Shelter From the Storm, Hundred Nights, and others. Consider organizing a winter gear drive, preparing meals, or offering rides.

These are our towns. These are our people. If we work together—with creativity, empathy, and urgency—we can build a stronger safety net. Let’s not wait until another family knocks on our door with nowhere to go.

Let’s open the door before they have to.

Author

Odette Butler serves as executive director of The River Center Family and Community Resource Center. She can be reached at 603-924-6800.