HB1196

We need more, not less housing. This bill promotes the latter

The housing champion program does what it is supposed to do: incentivize local action to address the housing crisis. Please oppose this bill.

How are you allowed to try to simply repeal a bill enacted last year?

HB1196 would repeal the Housing Champion Program, a voluntary program that costs the taxpayer zero dollars and incentivizes municipalities to enact pro-housing deregulation. Repealing the Housing Champion Program would be a grave mistake. As RSA 12-O:71 makes clear, the program is voluntary. "The New Hampshire housing champion designation program shall be voluntary. Each municipality shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to apply to the department to receive the New Hampshire housing champion designation." (12-O:71(I)) The program has no net impact on taxpayers: "In exchange for New Hampshire housing champion designation, a municipality shall receive preferential access to state resources including, but not limited to, discretionary state infrastructure funds, as available." (12-O:71(I)) The program therefore simply *reallocates* state infrastructure dollars toward communities that undertake actions to support housing. What are those actions? Largely deregulatory: "Qualifications to receive the New Hampshire housing champion designation shall include: (a) Adoption of such land use regulations and ordinances which the department determines to be necessary to promote the development of workforce housing, as that term is defined in RSA 674:58, and other types of housing necessary for the economic development of the state." (12-O:71(III)) Communities can also receive the designation by undertake infrastructure improvements to support new housing. When we look at the communities that have received the designation to date, they have all undertaken zoning reforms to protect private property rights and promote housing abundance. For instance, Farmington increased maximum densities for two-family and multifamily buildings in multiple districts and reduced minimum lot sizes for properties connected to water and sewer. Keene enacted a Cottage Court Overlay that allows smaller homes to be built in clusters on smaller lots and at higher densities. Plymouth reduced parking requirements and minimum lot sizes. Hinsdale cut its minimum lot size in half town-wide. It is appropriate and beneficial for the state to recognize these communities for their accomplishments and give them preferential access to state funds that are going to be disbursed anyway. Connecting housing reform to infrastructure funds make sense. Towns like Barrington that tighten their regulations and drive development beyond their borders make our traffic and infrastructure problems worse, especially for neighboring towns. So state dollars should not be subsidizing bad actors. The Housing Champion Program reasonably directs state transportation dollars to communities that are reducing development and traffic pressure on their neighbors. The Housing Champion Program also reasonably requires communities to show they have actually increased permitting in order to retain their designation in future years. So communities cannot game the system by enacting on-paper reforms that they fail to follow up with appropriate action at the review stage once landowners apply for permits. In short, the Housing Champion Program promotes housing abundance through responsible deregulation. Please vote ITL on the bill repealing it, HB1196.

I oppose HB1196. At a time when polling shows us that the number one issue Granite Staters care about is housing, this bill attempts to repeal the housing champion designation and grant program. There is no offered alternative to fix the housing crisis but instead retracts one of the successful programs in the state to address it. It is shameful and this bill ought to die an immediate death. Please vote ITL on HB1196.

The Members of the NH Council on Developmental Disabilities (NHCDD) believes this bill could have a negative impact on the NH disability community.

The housing crisis in our state requires the housing champion designation and grant program. Repealing this makes no sense at a time when we need much more housing--not less!

Do not repeal the state housing champion designation and grant program. I oppose this bill.

I oppose this Bill: HB 1196. Affordable housing is a major issue facing New Hampshire. The State Housing Champion program recognizes and incentivizes municipalities that voluntarily choose to modernize their zoning laws and housing policies. This repeal would abandon and defund the program at exactly the wrong time and a mid-stream flip-flop. Bruce Buttrick Goffstown, NH

I oppose this bill. Affordable housing is the number one issue for New Hampshire residents. The State Housing Champion program recognizes and incentivizes municipalities that voluntarily choose to modernize their zoning laws and housing policies. This repeal would abandon and defund the program at exactly the wrong time.

If the state of NH would pay its fair share, we taxpayers would save far more on property taxes. Stop the gop tax scam for once and for all. NH must fund public education. GOP lawmakers pretend to lower taxes, but it's only for the rich, so New Hampshire families pay for it in the end.

We must do everything possible in this state to create affordable housing opportunities. The Housing Champions Program plays an important role and to defund it is short-sighted and does nothing to address the housing crisis in this state.

Dear Members of the House Housing Committee, I write in strong opposition to HB 1196, which repeals the Housing Champion designation. This bill moves New Hampshire in exactly the wrong direction at a time when our state faces a profound and worsening housing shortage. The Housing Champion designation is not a mandate. It does not force zoning changes, strip local authority, or impose one-size-fits-all development. Instead, it recognizes and incentivizes municipalities that voluntarily choose to modernize their land-use regulations to allow more housing options—housing that working families, seniors, young professionals, and employers desperately need. Repealing this designation sends a clear and damaging message: that New Hampshire is willing to abandon even modest, voluntary tools that support housing production and reward local leadership. At a moment when: • Employers cannot attract workers because housing is unavailable or unaffordable • Young families are being priced out of the communities they grew up in • Seniors cannot downsize and remain in their towns • Municipal budgets are strained by sprawl rather than strengthened by smart growth HB 1196 removes one of the few constructive, locally driven mechanisms the state has adopted to address these challenges. The Housing Champion program respects local control while encouraging best practices. It recognizes that communities willing to permit accessory dwelling units, smaller lots, multi-family housing in appropriate areas, or mixed-use development are helping solve a statewide crisis. Repeal does nothing to increase housing supply, lower costs, or protect taxpayers. It simply eliminates a positive signal from the state that housing solutions matter. This bill also undermines predictability and trust. Municipalities that acted in good faith—engaging residents, updating zoning, and planning for growth—did so with the understanding that the state would stand behind its own policies. Repealing the program midstream penalizes responsible planning and discourages future participation in state-local partnerships. New Hampshire cannot cut its way out of a housing crisis. Nor can it posture its way out. We need policies that are practical, voluntary, and respectful of local decision-making—exactly what the Housing Champion designation represents. For these reasons, I urge the committee to vote ITL on HB 1196 and reaffirm that New Hampshire is serious about addressing housing affordability, workforce stability, and municipal sustainability. Respectfully, David John Preece State Representative, Hillsborough District 17

Members of the Committee on Housing: I write in opposition to HB 1196, which seeks to repeal the Housing Champions designation program and its associated funding. New Hampshire residents consistently identify housing as the number one issue facing our state. While some communities have continued to dig in on outdated zoning codes, development restrictions, and anti-housing policies and procedures, towns and cities like Keene have embraced zoning reform in order to increase the supply of diverse housing stock for young professionals, families, and retirees. That latter category of municipalities, who have addressed the issue of housing head-on, deserve the recognition and state financial support that comes with it; without support from the state, our communities will become more unaffordable, our workforce will become smaller and less diverse, and we will be, essentially, a gated retirement community. I urge rejection of this bill. Respectfully, Jacob Favolise Ward One Councilor

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