10/10/25: Housing Matters Newsletter

Welcome to the Housing Matters Newsletter!

Housing Action NH is partnering with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to better understand the state’s housing advocacy landscape. We’re inviting organizations, coalitions, and individuals engaged in housing, homelessness, and related issues to share their insights through a short survey. The goal is to highlight strengths, identify where additional coordination could help, and hear directly from advocates and providers. Findings will help shape future conversations about how to strengthen housing advocacy in New Hampshire and guide philanthropic partners toward the areas of greatest impact. Take the survey here.

Due to a scheduling conflict, we will not hold our monthly Housing Matters Zoom meeting next week. In place of our regular discussion, we encourage you to attend two other great webinars later this month, hosted by the NH Business Review and Department of Business and Economic Affairs, featured below.

Finally, there are no significant updates on the federal government shutdown at this time. Housing Action NH continues to monitor potential impacts on housing and homelessness programs and will share updates as new information becomes available.

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

Land Use Change Webinar

Dive into the details of what this year’s legislative changes mean for planning, zoning, and building code statutes with the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.

Date: Tuesday, October 21

Time: Noon to 1 pm

NH Zoning Atlas Water and Sewer Data Layer

Discover how new statewide water and sewer data in the NH Zoning Atlas can transform housing and planning in New Hampshire. Join NH Business Review and the Initiative for Housing Policy and Practice for a webinar highlighting how this tool streamlines housing development, empowers local leaders, and guides economic growth. Nick Taylor, Director of Housing Action NH, will be a panelist during this discussion.

Date: Wednesday, October 29

Time: 11 am to Noon

What We’re Reading (and Watching)

NH’s Business: High Home Prices Strain NH Workforce

WMUR: New Hampshire Housing Executive Director/CEO, Rob Dapice, spoke with New Hampshire’s Business on WMUR about the impacts of the high cost of housing. Watch.

Modern Multifamily Buildings Provide the Most Fire Protection

Pew Charitable Trust: New Pew research study examines fire safety among housing types and finds that new apartment construction provides the most fire protection. These findings are particularly relevant following the single-stair legislation signed last session. Read more.

Federal Permanent Supportive Housing Concerns

In addition to the federal government shutdown, POLITICO recently reported on potential changes to the Continuum of Care program, which would jeopardize funding for permanent supportive housing. We are closely monitoring these possible changes and their implications. You can read this brief post from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Upcoming Events

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be all over New Hampshire speaking at events and learning alongside many of you!

Thursday, October 16: New Hampshire Housing’s annual Housing and Economy Conference is from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm in Concord. You can view the Conference agenda here. Registration is closed, but we look forward to seeing many of you next week!

Monday, October 20: The Home For All Coalition and Mainspring are co-hosting a documentary screening and panel discussion on homelessness in New Hampshire and Maine. The event from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Dance Hall in Kittery, Maine, will include a screening of BUILDING HOPE: Ending Homelessness. Nick Taylor, Director of Housing Action NH, will be a panelist during this discussion. Register here.

Friday, October 24: Join the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord for a full-day, in-person conference focused on the rising cost of living and how we can build a more affordable and equitable New Hampshire. Nick Taylor, Director of Housing Action NH, will speak on a panel about the rising cost of housing and what is being done about it. Register here.

Tuesday, October 28: The Mount Washington Valley Housing Coalition’s (MWVHC) Annual State of Housing Breakfast is at the Fairbank Lodge at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, NH, from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. This year’s theme, “Zoning Changes Aren’t Enough: What Support Structures Are Working Elsewhere That We Can Recreate in the Mount Washington Valley?”, reflects our growing understanding that land-use reform, while essential, is only one piece of the affordable housing puzzle. This event will explore the innovative support structures and policies being implemented in other communities and how they can inspire and inform local solutions in the MWV. Nick Taylor, Director of Housing Action NH, will speak on recent legislative action. Register here.