Human Relations Committee

Laconia Human Relations Committee Homelessness Subcommittee God Pod Squad Held on Sunday, July 20, 2025 – 4:00 PM At Real Life Church in Laconia Present: Patrick Wood, Rich Littlefield, Carol Pierce, Matt Soza, Carrie Chandler, Kenzo Morris, Tricia Patten, Bill Higginbotham & Edie Spratt. 4:00 PM – Call to Order by Patrick Wood Review of the role of the Human Relations Committee and helping with the God Pods project. Led by Chair of LHRC, Patrick Wood, who expressed the LHRC excitement about the God Pods project and also listed the limitations of what the LHRC could do to help the project. Invitation from the LHRC subcommittee members for the God Pods group to have a practice presentation of the God Pods project before the LHRC before the God Pods Squad goes in front of the City Council. The suggested presentation is to be sent to Richard Littlefield, Chair of the LHRC Homelessness Subcommitee. Suggestion made of preparing for criticisms of the God Pods project ahead of time. Kenzo expressed his frustration over the issue of where the God Pods can be placed in Laconia. The God Pod Squad would like to know whether such land needs to be purchased, gifted for a small amount of money or leased. Tricia expressed the need for the God Pods Squad for clarity about when and how the LHRC can help the God Pods project. Patrick Wood shared maps to the group with 4 options for a plot of land and 1 building that are owned by the City of Laconia. The group discussed the options and reviewed some of the details about them. Matt Soza suggested the possibility of asking the city for an emergency variance to help speed up the process to cover the NEED for immediate shelter before the Winter. All present agreed the need is now and not a year from now Edie suggested that GPS request a 2-year lease, with the option to purchase, as a trial run of the project. This might be an inviting idea to the City Council, giving both an out if the project failed for any reason. Patrick shared the regulations about campgrounds in New Hampshire. He could find nothing in the State regulations about campgrounds/ Next Meeting of the Laconia Human Relations Committee, Homelessness Subcommittee and the God Pod Squad is scheduled, for Friday, August 8, 2025, at 10:30 AM, to be held at Real Life Church. 1 Notes taken by Edie Spratt, GPS Treasurer in Rebecca McCarthy’s absence who is the GPS Secretary. Rev. Judith Wright adopted these notes for the record at City Hall on July 24, 2025. Respectfully submitted by Rev. Dr. Judith Wright for the LHRC sub-committee on homelessness. 2