Having been an urban planner for 44 years in both the public and private sectors, I know something about the development of affordable housing in New Hampshire and other states. It is not zoning or the permit process that is preventing affordable housing from being built in New Hampshire. It is the lack of financial resources both with the town and the developer. With the Town, it is usually the lack of water and sewer infrastructure. In contrast, with the developer, it is an endless maze that the developer has to go through to secure financing and the various fees associated with the funding. New Hampshire prides itself on local control, and I fear that if the proposed commission is staffed or facilitated properly, it will take away the municipality's right to plan and zone its community.
HB399
House · 2025 sessionRepublicanSigned into lawStudy commission on zoning enabling act
AIEstablishes a commission to study the New Hampshire zoning enabling act and adjusts the effective date of the C-PACER commercial property assessed clean energy financing program.
(New Title) establishing a commission to study the New Hampshire zoning enabling act and relative to the effective date of the C-PACER program.
Status
Signed into law · March 11, 2025- ✓Introduced
- ✓House
- ✓Senate
- ✓Governor
- ✓Law
Division of testimony
9 submissionsI'm neutral on this Bill, more so being suspect of the composition of the Commission being able to research and recommend with open minds. As we've heard from the Legislature over the last years that the housing shortage/unaffordability is "the zoning regulations". I offer this: Towns and Cities within NH have had zoning ordinances since ~1940 and there were no housing/affordability issues. The Lack of Housing/unaffordability is much more complex than "it's the zoning ordinances". Housing shortage/unaffordability is a nationwide situation, not unique to NH.
This starts with the unfounded assertion that there is an UNBALANCE of state and municipalities zoning powers. A rotten basis. There is no prevention of housing zealots like House Speaker and Senate President from STACKING THE DECK with housing industry developers and advocates. A resulting report recommending rampant freewheeling new housing is therefore a forgone conclusion. But gotta keep campaign contributions from developers coming, don't we?
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.