New Hampshire Advances Bills To Promote More Housing Development

New Hampshire lawmakers advanced three significant housing bills to Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte's desk this week, aiming to spur development by addressing local restrictions. The state's Republican-controlled legislature passed House Bill 1010 and House Bill 1588, which seek to reduce local government regulations that impede housing construction. These efforts follow previous attempts to streamline development, as a similar proposal failed last year due to opposition from local governments. A 2025 study by New Hampshire Housing highlighted a significant disparity between housing cost increases and income growth, noting that housing costs surged 343% from 1998 to 2025, while median household income rose by 130%. Consequently, the ratio of median home sales price to median household income increased from 2.8 in 1998 to 5.5 in 2025.

House Bill 1010, after amendments, will require municipalities to permit multifamily housing development on commercially zoned land. However, planning boards retain the authority to mandate that developers ensure adequate infrastructure is present or to require developers to fund its construction. Additionally, commercial property conversions must still adhere to zoning dimension requirements. House Bill 1588 specifically prohibits the imposition of different setback, height, or other restrictions on commercial land that would specifically disincentivize multifamily projects compared to existing commercial development rules. The New Hampshire Municipal Association has endorsed the amended version of HB1588, stating it incorporates "significant positive updates" from a previously unsuccessful 2025 proposal and provides local governments with some discretion in project reviews.