ROCHESTER — Jeff Lefkovich of Catholic Charities New Hampshire sought Tuesday night to "provide some facts ... and dispel misconceptions" about a proposed development of 80 affordable housing units in the city.

A number of Rochester residents attending a City Council meeting raised concerns "illegal aliens" would be housed in the development, if it receives city approvals to be built on Old Dover Road at the former site of a Rochester highway garage.

Lefkovich said people who apply to live at The Residences at Riverside Park will be required to be U.S. citizens with verifiable, qualifying income. He said rent prices for the one- and two-bedroom units will be set so residents won't have to spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and would be based on the local area median income when leasing begins, which could be in 2026.

Since Catholic Charities NH's proposal recently became public, Rochester community Facebook pages have included multiple conversations with local residents alleging undocumented immigrants could move into the property, though no officials have stated that would happen.

Catholic Charities NH has faced opposition in Rochester before

This is not the first time Catholic Charities NH has faced opposition to an affordable housing project in Rochester amid a national housing crisis. In 2022, the group backed off a plan to build 180 units of affordable housing in the city's Gonic neighborhood.

At that time, residents near the former Gonic Mill site spoke...

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