Faced both with historically low vacancy rates, high rents, and limited starter home inventory at historically high prices, many young people in New Hampshire simply cannot afford to live here. Stay Work Play supports measures to increase both the types and affordability of housing suitable for young people and young families.
2022 Legislation
House Bill 1216, House Bill 1254, and House Bill 1307
Stay Work Play position: OPPOSE
What it does: In one form or fashion, all of the above bills seek to either eliminate or limit the effectiveness of the Housing Appeals Board, a relatively new entity that provides developers who are denied building permits by local planning and zoning boards an alternative to seeking relief in Superior Court.
Why it's important: Litigation can be time-consuming and expensive. Knowing that an affordable housing development could easily be denied by a planning or zoning board can discourage housing developments that are affordable and whose profit margins are slim to begin with.
Status: HB 1216 - currently awaiting a vote in the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 3, 2022.HB 1254 - currently awaiting a vote in the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 3, 2022.HB 1307 - a public hearing is scheduled for 11:30am, Feb. 7, 2022, in the Legislative Office Building Room 301-303.
Senate Bill 400
Stay Work Play position: SUPPORT
What it does: Based on the recommendations from the Governor’s Housing Task Force, Senate Bill 400 is a bipartisan bill that seeks to:
Provide free training materials for members of a zoning board of adjustment or planning board;
Modifies the appeals process for zoning decisions;
Provides for fee-shifting and posting of a bond in appeals to superior court from decisions of boards of adjustment;
Permits municipal economic development and revitalization districts in RSA 162-K to be used to increase workforce housing and other residential development within the municipality;
Increases the community revitalization tax relief incentive period for eligible housing projects under RSA 79-E; and
Establishes the New Hampshire housing champion certification program in the office of strategic initiatives.
Status: Currently awaiting a vote before the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee.
House Bill 1087 and House Bill 1238
Stay Work Play position: SUPPORT
What it does: House Bill 1087 and House Bill 1238 both seek to limit the ability of local land use boards to "zone out" housing construction that is more affordable to young people and others of lower and moderate incomes. House Bill 1087 would prohibit local land use boards from requiring lot sizes of more than 10,000 square feet for a single-family house, provided water and sewer service is available. House Bill 1238 enhances the state's workforce housing law by stating that the "opportunity for the development of such housing shall not be prohibited or unreasonably discouraged by the use of municipal planning and zoning powers or by unreasonable interpretation of such powers including prohibitions on workforce housing that meets all other applicable standards in any defined zone."
Why it's important: One of the biggest barriers to the construction of new housing is at the local level, where a number of local land use boards place unnecessary and burdensome hurdles on those seeking to build housing, especially rental housing. For example, one of the reasons that it can be near impossible to achieve any sort of density in housing (which helps to make housing more affordable) in some towns is that said towns can require a single housing unit to sit on lots of up to two or three acres.
Status: HB 1087 - a public hearing is scheduled for 9:30am, Feb. 4, 2022, in the Legislative Office Building Room 301-303.HB 1238 - a public hearing is scheduled for 10:30am, Feb. 7, 2022, in the Legislative Office Building Room 301-303.
House Bill 1177
Stay Work Play position: SUPPORT
What it does: House Bill 1177 would allow as a right the addition of up to four dwelling units on a single-family lot where sufficient water/sewer infrastructure exists. These may be configured as a single 4-unit building, 2 duplex units, 4 single units, one duplex unit with 2 accessory dwelling units, 4 townhouses, or one single-family house with 3 accessory dwellings units.
Why it's important: Allowing greater density in housing development is key to increasing housing supply - particularly of smaller units - and lower housing costs.
Status: A public hearing is scheduled for 9am, Feb. 7, 2022, in the Legislative Office Building Room 301-303.
Senate Bill 329
Stay Work Play position: SUPPORT
What it does: Senate Bill 329 is a bi-partisan bill to establish a legislative commission to study barriers to housing development in New Hampshire, including workforce and middle-income housing.
Why it's important: Commissions such as this one are used to study an issue in-depth and make recommendations for future legislation.
Status: House Bill 329 was voted Ought to Pass by the Senate Health and Human Affairs Committee and will be voted upon by the full Senate on 2/3/22.
Senate Bill 210
Stay Work Play position: OPPOSE
What it doesSenate Bill 210 would effectively kill the ability for residents of a manufactured housing park to purchase the park under the “60-day notice” clause.
Why it's important: Passage of this bill would eliminate the most successful and prolonged affordable-housing effort in New Hampshire, one that has preserved nearly 8,500 homes. Under current law, 140 groups of manufactured-home park residents have purchased their communities and run them as cooperatives, or ROCs (resident-owned communities). Resident ownership keeps these homes affordable by eliminating the profit motive and putting budget decisions directly in homeowners’ hands.
Status: A public hearing is scheduled for 9:15am, Feb. 8, 2022, in Room 100 of the State House.