Derry couple searches for a place with no roommates
Aug. 14—Micaela Minassian and her boyfriend have been living with her family in the same Derry home for the past three years as they struggle to find an affordable apartment.
A household with six adults, including her parents, means juggling dinner schedules, fitting in loads of laundry and finding bathroom time in the morning.
"It can get cramped and very difficult at times," her boyfriend, Dylan Rogers, said recently. "It's all the little things with six adults."
Buying a house or renting an apartment keeps getting more expensive, forcing some people to find roommates or move in with family.
The Derry couple's plight "speaks to the impact it's having for the broader society and economy," said Rob Dapice, executive director and CEO for New Hampshire Housing, which released its annual rental earlier this month.
"When people can't find a place to live, household formation goes down. That means people are less likely to have kids. They're less likely to buy lawn furniture or whatever you buy for your home," Dapice said. "They're more likely to look at other options, including moving out of state.... It's a real challenge."
Chad Johansen, president of NH iPhone Repair, where Rogers works, said most of his team makes $800 to $1,000 a week.
"A lot of them still live with their parents or have a roommate and have aspirations to get out and have their own space," Johansen said.
His six locations in New Hampshire are generally in more affluent areas, so finding full-time employees who generally are younger has been difficult.
He has raised wages and offers sign-on and tenure bonuses as well as commissions.
Sticker shock
The new report from New Hampshire Housing stated the vacancy rate for apartments was 0.5% statewide. Rockingham County, which includes Derry, notched a median monthly gross rent of $1,708 for a two-bedroom apartment — 21% higher than five years ago.
"It's amazing and wonderful we have such a low unemployment rate and a strong economy," Dapice said. But, he said, it's "very challenging for employers who want to hire and talking to people who can't find a place to live. That hinders business growth."
The median home price in New Hampshire hit $460,000 in June and $605,000 in Rockingham County. Those prices have kept many people from moving from an apartment to a home.
Kevin Salemi, marketing manager for Lewis Builders Development in Atkinson, sees people doing the math on whether to rent or buy.
"People are coming in saying they're living in an apartment. The lease has gone up a significant amount, so they're looking to buy," he said.
Rogers recalls showing up at one vacant Litchfield apartment only to be greeted by more than 20 others competing against him.
Wanting a home alone
For now, Rogers and his girlfriend have their own bedroom but share space elsewhere in the 1,468-square-foot house, grateful they have a place to live while managing daily tasks.
"We all have cars, so the driveway, there's four cars in the driveway and one car parked off the road," she said.
"Then there's one of my brothers who has turned the basement into his bedroom," where he works from home, said Minassian, a barista at the Starbucks in Londonderry and a senior at UNH Manchester, where she is majoring in biological sciences.
"It's like we're all in different worlds," Rogers said.
The couple want to rent an apartment for $1,200 to $1,400 a month with certain amenities. They even considered buying a house.
"The hope is there's some sort of market correction or crash to give us a better chance," Rogers said.
What's Working, a series exploring solutions for New Hampshire's workforce needs, is sponsored by the New Hampshire Solutions Journalism Lab at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications and is funded by Eversource, Fidelity Investments, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the New Hampshire College & University Council, Northeast Delta Dental and the New Hampshire Coalition for Business and Education.
Contact reporter Michael Cousineau at mcousineau@unionleader.com. To read stories in the series, visit unionleader.com/whatsworking.
