Table of Contents

STATE

Budget. Last week, the Senate advanced, and the House concurred to pass a state budget for state fiscal years 2024-2025. The Governor is expected to sign the $15.17 billion package next week. Housing investments totaled just over $50 million, including: 1) $25 million for the Affordable Housing Fund; 2) $10 million to continue the InvestNH program that was originally launched with ARPA dollars; 3) $5.25 million to launch a new Housing Champions municipal incentive program; and 4) a $10 million increase to DHHS’ homeless services budget. Housing Action NH thanks our tenacious housing advocates and policymakers for these legislative victories to further our collective work to provide much needed affordable housing to Granite Staters.

Historic Housing Tax Credit and Homeownership Innovation Fund. Although the final budget contains major state investments in affordable housing production, some proposals did not make it into the final package, including the $10 million Historic Housing Tax Credit from SB 231 and SB 202’s Homeownership Innovation Fund. Senate President Jeb Bradley, however, did express interest at the final Senate Finance hearing in sponsoring future historic housing tax credit legislation. 

Graduated Assistance Study. HB 2, the state budget trailer bill, includes language that directs several agencies, including the NH Housing Finance Authority, to study approaches to graduated assistance to avoid benefit cliffs. According to section 579: “The housing finance authority shall study the creation, funding, and implementation of a graduated, proportional rental assistance housing choice voucher program for individuals who do not qualify for existing assistance within the state.”  The report is due on November 1, 2023.

Density Study Commission. The House passed SB 47 to reconvene the commission to study barriers to increased density of residential development in New Hampshire. The bill, sponsored by Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, was amended in the House to include additional constituencies. Housing Action NH urges the Senate to concur with the House version.

Limits on Required Securities. The House also passed SB 78, which limits the security required for street work and utility installations, landscaping, final pavement, and fire suppression systems. The bill, sponsored by Senator Dan Innis, improves bond requirements and inspection timelines for housing developers. Housing Action NH urges the Senate to concur with the House version.

Tenant Protections. The House narrowly defeated an attempt to attach ‘end of lease term’ to good cause evictions in a vote of 195-190. NH Legal Assistance successfully organized the defeat of the proposal.

Residency Status of Transient Individuals. In another narrow vote of 190-180, the House passed SB 110. The bill codifies the NH Welfare Administrators Association’s position on assessing the residency status of transient individuals for purposes of determining responsibility for local assistance.

House Special Committee on Housing. The Special Committee on Housing held additional hearings that included presentations on water/sewer standards from the NH Department of Environmental Services and from NH Housing and Southern New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission on opportunities to improve New Hampshire’s accessory dwelling unit law. The Committee is starting to consider legislative proposals for the second year of the biennium.

FEDERAL

Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, critical legislation to expand and improve the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, was recently reintroduced with bipartisan support in the US House and Senate. Housing Action NH urges our congressional delegation to support the legislation. 

National Housing Trust Fund. HUD recently announced state allocations to the Housing Trust Fund (HTF). HTF is an important source of capital funding to increase and preserve the supply of housing for people with the lowest incomes, including those experiencing homelessness. Funding for HTF comes from a modest contribution of new business income from Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs). New Hampshire received the small state minimum of $3,066,413.

ERAP Funding. Although the federally funded rental assistance program has ended, an additional $9,046,035 was recently accepted by the NH Joint Fiscal Committee. The Committee approved the request from the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery to direct $4 million to NH Housing for affordable housing production and $5 million to reimburse the state for state allocations to pandemic related rental assistance.  

Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act. US Senator Shaheen (D-NH) has reintroduced legislation this Congress to improve USDA Rural Development programs. The legislation would protect access to affordable housing for families in rural areas that are often elderly or disabled and who are at risk of losing rental assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service. Housing Action NH supports the proposal.

DATA

NH Zoning Atlas. The New Hampshire Zoning Atlas is a comprehensive database and interactive online map cataloging and portraying district-level land-use regulations affecting housing construction across the entire land area of the state.

2023 Statewide Housing Needs Assessment. The 2023 New Hampshire Statewide Housing Needs Assessment found that the state needs 23,000 rental units and 60,000 overall more housing units between 2020 and 2030 and nearly 90,000 units between 2020 and 2040. The report offers suggestions for addressing the problems that have led to the housing shortage, as quantified in the report, and ways to add different types of housing to meet the needs of New Hampshire’s people.

NH Association of Realtors May Market Report. NHAR’s May Market Report reveals that the median price of a New Hampshire home hit an all-time high, and affordability reached an historic low in May as the inventory crisis continued its grip on the state’s real estate market.

NH Housing Toolbox. A new website developed by New Hampshire’s nine regional planning commissions and the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs providing planning and zoning tools for local government.