* As a reminder, the legislative office building is closed for renovations. All House committee meetings will be held at 1 Granite Place (South Building), Concord, NH. You can find directions and general information here. *
House Housing Committee – Tuesday, April 7th, Granite Place Room 231
10:00 AM – SB 415, relative to a certain exemption in interest in condominium units.
- What It Does: As amended, this proposal raises the threshold for condo development that is exempt from the Department of Justice’s review process from 10 units to 20 units.
- Why It Matters: Condos offer a path towards attainable homeownership and wealth-building opportunities for Granite Staters. The New Hampshire Department of Justice currently has a robust regulatory review process that exceeds those of neighboring states, making condo development – especially for nonprofits interested in pursuing workforce-housing-level condos – challenging.
- HANH Position: Support
10:30 AM – SB 490, establishing a task force to assess the development of housing at Great Bay Community College and authorizing the college the right to use vacant property for the purpose of developing housing.
- What It Does: The bill establishes a task force to study housing feasibility, funding mechanisms, operational models, and resident support systems at Great Bay Community College. It also authorizes the development of housing on the Great Bay Community College property within the Pease development area, in coordination with relevant state agencies.
- Why It Matters: This would open up additional opportunities for needed housing in the seacoast region. It’s a complicated location, given the various stakeholders and airport implications, but this task force creates a forum for this important coordination.
- HANH Position: Support
11:00 AM – SB 564, prohibiting certain municipal development restrictions.
- What It Does: This bill prohibits municipalities from placing limits on maximum road length and imposing a numerical cap on the number of housing lots on a dead-end road or street. The bill also permits municipalities to place utilities within open space or perimeter buffer areas of subdivisions.
- Why It Matters: These relatively minor regulatory changes will allow for more housing development without compromising health and safety protections.
- HANH Position: Support
House Municipal and County Government Committee – Tuesday, April 7th, Granite Place Room 154
10:25 AM – SB 435, relative to the zoning board of adjustment variance criteria
- What It Does: As introduced, this proposal would remove the requirement that, in order to be granted a variance by the local zoning board of adjustment (ZBA), an applicant prove that literal enforcement of the ordinance would result in an unnecessary hardship. As passed by the Senate, the unnecessary hardship provision is replaced by new language that requires the applicant to prove that literal enforcement of the ordinance would result in an “unreasonable restriction.”
- Why It Matters: ZBAs are quasi-judicial boards and make a ruling when a property owner is seeking to do something that is not currently allowed within the municipality’s zoning ordinance. Current state law spells out the five criteria that you need to establish before granting a variance: (1) The variance will not be contrary to the public interest; (2) The spirit of the ordinance is observed; (3) Substantial justice is done; (4) The values of surrounding properties are not diminished; and (5) Literal enforcement of the provisions of the ordinance would result in an unnecessary hardship. It’s unclear whether the “unreasonable restriction” standard would be easier to meet or harder to meet. At a minimum, it would require new legal interpretations.
- HANH Position: Neutral
10:45 AM – SB 508, relative to the zoning board of adjustments appeal period.
- What It Does: This bill requires that all grounds for appeal must be stated in the initial notice to the zoning board of adjustments, and requires that municipalities accept revised development plans within 10 business days.
- Why It Matters: Predictability and clear metrics are important for the development process. Uncertain timelines and the ability to continuously revisit or update appeals delay approved projects from moving forward. Similar proposals have been discussed in previous legislative sessions. The legislature continues to grapple with the appropriate timeline for good-faith revisions with communities that have technical or design review processes.
- HANH Position: Support
House Public Works and Highways Committee – Tuesday, April 7th, Granite Place Room 228
10:00 AM – SB 541, relative to capital appropriations for regional drinking water infrastructure.
- Why It Does: This proposal allocates a portion of the remaining funds appropriated to the Department of Environmental Services in 2020 towards Phase 2B of the Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Interconnection Project.
- Why It Matters: Adequate water and sewer infrastructure is critical to sustained housing development. This proposal would take existing funds and direct them to this project.
- HANH Position: Support
Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee – Tuesday, April 7th, State House Room 122-123
10:15 AM – HB 1759, relative to the disqualification of a member of a local land use board.
- What It Does: This bill makes a land use board’s vote on whether a member should be disqualified binding rather than advisory, requiring recusal if a majority finds disqualification is warranted.
- Why It Matters: Current law states that a vote on recusal for a land use board member is only advisory and non-binding. If the board believes a member should recuse themselves and they do not, it could expose the municipality to legal action.
- HANH Position: Neutral
Senate Finance Committee – Tuesday, April 7th, State House Room 103
1:16 PM – HB 1042, (Amendment # 2026-1285s) raising the unified contingent credit limit.
- What It Does: This amendment raises New Hampshire Housing’s debt limit.
- Why It Matters: New Hampshire Housing’s debt limit is set in state law despite not being guaranteed by state funding. If New Hampshire Housing’s debt limit is not raised and it hits its cap, it would not be able to provide financing for any new affordable housing development.
- HANH Position: Support
Senate Judiciary Committee – Thursday, April 9th, State House Room 100
1:50 PM – HB 1091, relative to the penalty for violations of municipal ordinances related to sleeping or camping outside.
- What It Does: This bill requires municipalities to provide for a nonmonetary penalty that may be elected in lieu of a financial penalty for any ordinance or bylaw prohibiting sleeping or camping outdoors.
- Why It Matters: Nonmonetary penalties provide municipalities with an opportunity to enforce their local ordinances without financially burdening individuals who likely do not have the money to pay a fine.
- HANH Position: Support
