Welcome to the Housing Matters Newsletter and Happy Halloween!
On Wednesday, the New Hampshire Zoning Atlas released its new water and sewer data layer. This is the first time there is a publicly accessible statewide view of where water and sewer infrastructure exists (see screenshot below).
The New Hampshire Zoning Atlas is a project of the Initiative for Housing Policy and Practice at Saint Anselm College in partnership with New Hampshire Housing and the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. You can view findings and explore the atlas here. You can read coverage about the data release here.
This new research found that only about 12 percent of New Hampshire’s buildable land has access to water and/or sewer infrastructure, and only 5.6 percent of buildable land has access to both.
Access to water and sewer infrastructure is a significant factor in determining the number of homes that can be built on a parcel of land. As we consider how to continue meeting the needs of Granite Staters and develop more attainable housing options, we must make informed land use decisions where infrastructure already exists and explore innovative solutions where it doesn’t.
This data will help advance conversations on expanded infrastructure (both new infrastructure and upgraded capacity for existing infrastructure), innovative wastewater technologies for areas without public water/sewer, lot size reform using science-based standards, and increasing height/density where appropriate and feasible.
The people of New Hampshire – from urban to rural areas of our state – are seeking more affordable housing options. This new data will help local, state, and federal policymakers deliver on what Granite Staters are asking for.
