Feb. 28 Housing Matters Newsletter

Welcome to the Housing Matters Newsletter! 

The House and the Senate are both in session on Thursday, March 6th, and will vote on multiple bills to create more housing options for Granite Staters. These proposals include allowing detached accessory dwelling units by right (HB 577), treating manufactured housing just like any other type of single-family housing by allowing it on any residential lot (HB 685), and addressing overburdensome lot sizes that make smaller homes difficult to build (SB 81).

There are also bills to increase financial support for the state’s Affordable Housing Fund (SB 81) and double the Community Development Finance Authority’s popular tax credit program (SB 158).

Taken together, these proposals will make a real impact in addressing our state’s housing shortage.

As always, if you have questions about the legislation we mention in the newsletter or housing-related proposals that aren’t included, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

If this newsletter was forwarded to you, and you want to receive future updates, you can sign up here. 

Best,
Nick Taylor

Director
Housing Action NH
nick@housingactionnh.org

As mentioned above, there are many key priorities heading to the floor of the House and Senate for votes next week. Thanks to the work of so many of you, many of these bills are on the consent calendar, meaning they received unanmious support in committee and, barring any changes, will be taken up in one voice vote.

Senate Bill 84, which would legalize homes on smaller lots, is on the regular calendar. And, we need your help to pass it. Although it received a 5-1 vote in the Senate Commerce Committee, we can’t take anything for granted. 

Please reach out to your State Senator and ask them to support SB 84. 

You can learn more about Senate Bill 84 by reading this blog post on our website and downloading this one-pager.

10:00 am — Senate Bill 90, allowing high-density residential development on land zoned for commercial use.

• What The Bill Does: This bill allows for multi-family residential development in land zoned for commercial activities such as retail, office, and service industries. It defines “high density” as at least 20 units per acre.
• Why It Matters: States and communities around the country are considering proposals that allow for more residential development in commercial zones (“homes near jobs”). There are numerous benefits to these proposals, including allowing for housing development in areas with existing infrastructure, creating more walkable communities, and adapting to the modern economy that is moving away from strip malls and traditional office space.

11:45 am — House Bill 399, establishing a commission to study the New Hampshire Zoning Enabling Act.

• What The Bill Does: This bill creates a bipartisan commission to examine the evolution of the New Hampshire Zoning Enabling Act. 
• Why It Matters: The State of New Hampshire grants municipalities the ability to zone for the “health, safety, or the general welfare of the community”.  As our communities and state move forward, this bill would create a commission to take a comprehensive look at how the Zoning Enabling Act should evolve with it.

Other Senate Commerce Committee bills we are monitoring: 

• SB 174, prohibiting planning boards from considering the number of bedrooms a given unit or development has during the hearing and approval process.

• SB 175, relative to the use of covenants by municipalities.

• SB 281, prohibiting municipalities from denying building or occupancy permits for property adjacent to class VI roads under certain circumstances.

• SB 163, prohibiting local moratoria and limitations on building permits.

• SB 283, relative to the calculation of floor-area-ratios under local building ordinances.

The House of Representatives will convene for session on Thursday, March 6th. The notable housing bills are:

• HB 577 updates New Hampshire’s existing accessory dwelling unit law to allow for detached ADUs by-right. HB 577 received an 18-0 OTP committee recommendation and is on the consent calendar.

• HB 685 treats manufactured housing just like any other type of housing by allowing it wherever you can build single-family homes. HB 685 received a 17-0 OTP committee recommendation and is on the consent calendar. 

The Senate will convene for session on Thursday, March 6th. The notable housing bills are:

• SB 78 removes the discretionary timeline for a Zoning Board of Adjustment appeal and sets a standard 30-day timeline to request an appeal. SB 78 received a 6-0 OTP recommendation and is on the consent calendar.

• SB 81 doubles the annual appropriation from the Real Estate Transfer Tax to the Affordable Housing Fund from $5 million to $10 million per year and allocates an additional $25 million to the Affordable Housing Fund. This received a 6-0 OTP committee recommendation and is on the consent calendar. 

• SB 84 sets baseline minimum lot sizes (the minimum amount of land needed to build a home) for a majority of land zoned to permit single-family homes. The lot size depends on whether a lot has access to municipal water and sewer infrastructure. Legalizing smaller lot sizes allows for more starter homes and homes suitable for downsizing. SB 84 received a 5-1 OTP recommendation. 

• SB 158 doubles the annual Community Development Finance Authority tax credit from $5 million to $10 million, which allows for the creation of a historic housing preservation program. This received a 6-0 OTP recommendation. 

• SB 188 allows for third-party licensed inspections and for local governments to authorize licensed engineers and architects to perform building code inspections. This received a 5-0 OTP recommendation.

NHPR – Housing is the biggest concern for Granite Staters, according to the most recent Granite State Poll from the University of New Hampshire. Researchers asked over 1,300 people about the biggest problem facing New Hampshire, and nearly a third said housing – followed by taxes and education.