10/9/26: Housing Matters Newsletter

Welcome back to our Housing Matters Newsletter!

It’s been great to see so many of you across the state at conferences, presentations, and breakfast events over the past few weeks. As the event season and state legislative action heat up, we’ll be returning to your inboxes with more frequent newsletter updates.

Here’s what you’ll find in this week’s newsletter:

Save The Date and Get Your Tickets! On Tuesday, December 8th, from 5:30 to 7:00 in Concord, Housing Action will host our annual awards celebration. Get your tickets here.

Our Next Housing Matters Zoom: There will not be a Housing Matters Zoom meeting in October. Our next meeting will be in November.

Community Reinvestment Act Proposed Rule Change: The proposed CRA rule change has affordable housing organizations concerned. Learn more and take action.

New Pew Report: A new Pew report found that New Hampshire was one of the states where housing costs have the biggest impact on poverty rates.

For folks interested in state legislation, the early bill filing period has ended, and you can find a public listing of legislative requests (LSRs) here. As a reminder, we only have bill titles at this point in the calendar. The legislative filing period reopens for legislators after the election from November 4th to the 18th.

If you were forwarded this newsletter and would like to receive future updates, you can sign up here.

Best,

Nick Taylor

Executive Director

Housing Action NH

nick@housingactionnh.org

Housing Action NH Awards Celebration

We are excited to bring New Hampshire’s housing community together for a night of celebration, connection, and recognition with our annual Home Matters in NH Awards Night. 

When: Tuesday, December 8, 2026, 5:30–7:00 p.m.
Where: BNH Stage Lounge, 16 S Main St, Concord, NH

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Lighthouse Credit Union! 

Each year, Housing Action NH’s Home Matters in NH Awards recognize the people, organizations, and initiatives making a difference in housing across our state.

On December 8, we’ll gather with partners, advocates, community leaders, and housing champions from across New Hampshire to celebrate this year’s honorees and the collective work happening every day to help ensure Granite Staters have access to safe, stable, and affordable homes.

This evening is also an opportunity to connect across sectors, strengthen relationships, and celebrate the progress we’re making together toward a stronger housing ecosystem in New Hampshire.

We hope you’ll be part of it!

Get your tickets today! Sponsorships are available.

No October Housing Matters Zoom

There will not be an October Housing Matters Zoom meeting. We will return with our Housing Matters Zoom meeting in November, which will feature a post-election legislative preview.

Proposed Community Reinvestment Act Rule Change

Hang on as we’re about to get into the (impactful) policy weeds!

This summer, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) proposed changes to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rules. While common-sense reforms may be possible and many incredible community-based banks in New Hampshire are deeply committed to the region, this proposed rule is very concerning for affordable housing developers, especially those who use the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). CRA-motivated bank investors represent a significant portion of the project investment.

Here are a few key points:

Change Classifications: Under the new proposed thresholds, 9 of 12 New Hampshire-based OCC- and FDIC-regulated banks would move into smaller CRA classifications, potentially reducing incentives for affordable housing investment.

Impact on Rural Housing: Smaller and rural communities already face challenges attracting LIHTC equity. Reduced bank participation could lower Housing Credit pricing and create additional financing gaps, making developments more difficult to complete.

The comment period is open through October 13th. You can submit comments here.

Here are a few additional resources:

• Action Network Template Letter
• National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders Policy Brief

New Pew Report: Housing Costs Driving Poverty in New Hampshire

New research from The Pew Charitable Trusts found that high housing costs are a major driver of poverty in New Hampshire. The study found that:

• 16% to 34% of poverty rates in the jurisdictions analyzed are attributable to above-average housing costs.
• 16% of poverty and 22% of child poverty in New Hampshire can be attributed to high housing costs.
• A 20% decline in New Hampshire rents could reduce overall poverty by 18% and child poverty by 21%.

Housing Action NH Executive Director Nick Taylor was quoted in NHPR and New York Times stories about the report.