Latest news with #NewHampshireMunicipalAssociation
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers pass sweeping zoning reform bills, but some say housing funding is lacking
The New Hampshire Municipal Association deviates from pro-housing groups by strongly opposing any state-passed laws to force cities and towns to change zoning. (Photo by Dana Wormald/New Hampshire Bulletin) As they consider laws to encourage more housing this year, New Hampshire lawmakers have so far been more interested in the stick than the carrot. The Legislature has pushed forward a number of bills intended to overhaul zoning procedures that housing advocates say impede badly needed development. Some bills, such as ones to help expand accessory dwelling units and allow for 'mixed-use' developments in commercial zones, represent the biggest state-driven changes to zoning laws in years. But lawmakers are less focused on another policy tool: financial incentives. In its version of the budget, the House has stripped out funding for a program designed to encourage cities and towns to voluntarily change their zoning codes to be more housing friendly. Now, pro-housing groups are pushing the Senate to restore at least some of that funding, arguing the zoning changes are only one piece of the puzzle. And the New Hampshire Municipal Association — which broadly opposes any bills that would override local zoning codes — argues financial incentives for towns should be the state's sole approach. The Senate Finance Committee has an opportunity this month to dramatically reverse some of the House's cuts. The Senate has already passed independent bills that together include $90 million of spending on housing — all of which could be added into the budget if desired. But the Senate is also grappling with projections suggesting lower-than-ideal business tax revenues, suggesting that it can restore some, but not all, of the House's budget cuts in April. In total, the House cut $643 million from Ayotte's budget; revenue projections from the Senate Ways and Means Committee suggest the body could restore only about half of that spending. Nick Taylor, director of Housing Action New Hampshire, an advocacy group, notes the House-passed budget contains no new funding going toward affordable housing development. The House defunded the Housing Champion Program, which provides special grants to towns and cities that change their zoning codes to meet certain standards deemed friendlier to housing development. Under the program, towns that do so can receive state assistance for infrastructure funding and per-unit production grants. Eighteen towns qualified in 2024, according to the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs: Boscawen, Concord, Derry, Dover, Enfield, Farmington, Hinsdale, Hooksett, Jaffrey, Keene, Lebanon, Manchester, Nashua, Newport, Portsmouth, Rochester, Salem, and Somersworth. Ayotte's budget did not continue funding the program, which first passed in 2023. Instead, it extended the lapse date for the $5 million appropriated in 2023, allowing more time for the existing money to be distributed. But the House's budget would end the program and redirect the unspent money. House lawmakers also rejected proposals by Housing Action NH and others to increase the amount of funding going to the state's affordable housing program — which helps to finance affordable housing projects — from $5 million per year to $10 million, and to double a tax credit program that funds the state's Community Development Finance Authority from $5 million a year to $10 million. For lawmakers to focus only on zoning and not financing is a mistake, Taylor says. 'Relaxing the regulatory piece is a big deal when it comes to allowing for more attainable market-rate options like (accessory dwelling units), like mixed-use development, (and) manufactured housing. But when you really get to the deeply affordable levels, you need the financing piece there too. And that is in danger of being left out of the equation this session.' Brodie Deshaies, legislative advocate for the New Hampshire Municipal Association, agrees that more funding should be devoted to allow municipalities to craft pro-housing zoning codes that work for their residents. But the Municipal Association deviates from pro-housing groups by strongly opposing any state-passed laws to force cities and towns to change zoning. 'It seems zoning mandates are a priority, and that has no guarantee of more affordable housing, more workforce housing, even more housing in general,' he said in an interview. 'Just because you've mandated that a municipality can't have a specific zoning ordinance … what is a (landowner's) incentive to build or to work with a developer to build?' He added: 'In the current Legislature, we're seeing no collaborative process, no willingness to work with municipalities,' he said. 'Instead, it seems very (strongly) working against municipalities.' Deshaies also predicted that though concern over the state's housing crisis dominates New Hampshire polls, many residents will not like the zoning laws when they apply to their own towns. 'I think a lot of residents and municipalities are going to look and say, 'When I thought more housing, I was not thinking this,'' he said. Republican lawmakers who are pro-housing offer a different perspective. To them, the financial incentives championed by Housing Action and the Municipal Association are much less important than the regulatory reforms. Rep. Joe Alexander, a Goffstown Republican and the chairman of the House Housing Committee, says that he supports the Housing Champion Program and would vote to fund it as a standalone bill. But he said the state can still pass meaningful legislation to boost housing without financial incentives. Alexander pointed to a pair of bills moving to Ayotte's desk that he said will have the biggest impact: House Bill 631, which would require municipalities to allow multi-family developments in commercial zones, such as shopping areas; and House Bill 577, which would allow homeowners to build a detached accessory dwelling unit by right and expand the size limitations to do so. Both bills would allow cities to set zoning requirements, such as appearance, for those developments. Lawmakers are also moving along Senate Bill 188, which would allow homebuilders to use third-party inspectors to approve new homes rather than wait for state inspectors, and House Bill 428, which would prevent towns from making new changes to the state building codes, Alexander noted. SB 188 is moving to a vote on the House floor with a positive recommendation from the Housing Committee, and HB 428 passed the Senate on May 15. 'I'm not necessarily thinking that if we throw money at it, it's going to solve the problem,' Alexander said. 'I actually truly think the free market is going to be able to build affordable homes if we cut the red tape, cut the spending. We'll build affordable homes when there's enough supply. The market will adjust.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill expanding access to ADUs gets final nod
A bill to increase the size of accessory dwelling units and to allow them to be detached from the home cleared its final legislative hurdle Thursday. 'This bill will remove confusion, produce uniformity and eliminate unnecessary barriers,' said House Commerce Committee Chairman Dan Innis, R-Bradford. The passage of HB 577 came after the state Senate soundly rejected a move from Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, to water down the House-passed bill, which had the backing of the New Hampshire Municipal Association. 'I was trying to find middle ground but clearly this wasn't the day for that,' Fenton said. 'In my view, ADUs have a place and work great in many communities. Trouble is, I heard from many officials in small towns very wary of this.' Municipal Association lobbyist Brodie Deshaies confirmed his group could have lived with Fenton's amendment, which would have made several changes including restoring a local-control requirement that it would be up to each town to approve an ADU ordinance and a delay in the effective date of the law to July 1, 2026. 'The amendment surely would have made a bad bill better, but we would have preferred the Senate reject it outright,' he said. The Senate turned down Fenton's amendment and passed the bill on voice votes. Bigger with more bedrooms The legislation, which would take effect July 1, increases the allowed size of an ADU from 750 to 950 square feet and expressly allow two-bedroom units. Sen. Tim McGough, R-Merrimack, said the bill addresses two of the state's critical needs. 'Not only does the bill allow property owners to enhance asset value, but it also enables them to give their family members a jump start on living at home when they're young and age gracefully,' McGough said. 'By removing unnecessary red tape and making it easier to build small homes like backyard cottages and garage apartments, we're helping seniors stay close to loved ones and giving young people a foothold in the communities they grew up in,' said Nick Taylor, executive director of Housing Action N.H. 'This legislation means more affordable, right-sized home choices for Granite Staters at every stage of life — and that's a big step toward tackling our housing shortage.' +++ What's Next: The bill will soon head to the desk of Gov. Kelly Ayotte. Prospects: While Ayotte hasn't commented on this legislation specifically, she said expanding ADU access was one of her priorities while campaigning for governor last fall. klandrigan@
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What is a default budget in New Hampshire?
Mar. 9—Voters across the state want to know: What exactly is a default budget? A staple in New Hampshire since the official ballot law (SB2) passed in 1995 and about 35% of towns gradually adopted the process, the default budget is often confounding. On Tuesday, voters in SB2 towns will have a choice, say yes to the proposed town and school district budgets for the next fiscal year, or if they fail to get a majority of the votes, let them default to something closely resembling the current budget. A default budget is the previous year's budget plus any recurring fixed costs in the coming year that the town or school district are already obligated to pay legally — like a contract for employees or debt payments. Sometimes the default budget goes down because those payments decrease. Default budgets also take into account "one-time expenditures" that were only for the previous fiscal year. Got all that? In simplest terms, a default budget is just pausing new spending outside of proposed warrant articles on the ballot that separately ask voters to pay for new stuff. For an analogy, think about your household budget. You might not have money for a family vacation to Disney next year, but you still have to pay your mortgage or rent, right? So, you tighten up. In towns like Merrimack this budget season, the contents of the default budget have become lightning rods because budget committee members or taxpayer associations have questions about what recurring costs the town "has to" pay next year. That largely depends on the town or school district and what they are under contract to pay. Sometimes there are disagreements over items like new textbooks for students or even things like materials for maintaining roads — budget lines too small to be a separate warrant article, but still really expensive. Especially amid recent inflation. "While the per-unit cost for certain commodities may increase from one year to the next (such as the cost per kilowatt-hour of electricity or the cost per ton of asphalt), the default budget includes the 'amount' of the money appropriated for that purpose the previous year, not the amount that will be required for the same number of units in the coming year," according to the New Hampshire Municipal Association. If inflation goes through the roof, the town has to adjust. Default vs. budget cuts Let's be clear, the default budget is not a way to cut spending. But if residents want to lower their property taxes, which pay for the vast majority of their local facilities, what can they do? The answer: Go to the deliberative session and amend the proposed budget. That's really the only way other than running for local boards or working closely with officials during the entire budget season. One-time expenditures The New Hampshire Municipal Association explains one-time expenditures by giving the following example: "If the town had to buy a piece of equipment that was not likely to be needing replacement on a regular basis, that would be a 'one-time expenditure' not likely to reoccur in a succeeding budget." So, for things like buying a new fire engine or leasing new police cruisers or putting a new roof on a school, those are not technically "recurring" even though towns have to pony up eventually. The key is, does it have to be done every year? If yes, it's a recurring cost. If no, it's not. Debates arise over the question, "Does it really need to be done next year?" Again, the time for that argument is the deliberative session. The default budget freezes annual recurring costs. But, alas, it doesn't increase your taxes all by itself. Your town or school district already did that. Voters already voted on all previous spending. And that's your default position. Election day Tuesday is election day for SB2 town meeting communities. Most polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check your municipal or school district website for your specific times. dpierce@
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coalition backs setting maximum housing lot sizes
Jan. 28—Realtors, homebuilders and housing advocates said limiting maximum lot sizes for residences would be the single most significant policy change that could address the state's affordability crisis. The legislation (SB 84) would set a cap that in each town a majority of the property zoned for single-family residences must have lot sizes that are no bigger than 1 1/2 acres on parcels without public water and sewer. Those with public water could be no larger than one acre and the size would be limited to half an acre on property that has water and sewer service under the bill. The legislation would grandfather existing house lots larger than the proposed maximums. State Sen. Keith Murphy, R-Manchester, said he's authored 10 different bills to try and promote more residential construction. "If we are really serious about expanding, this is the bill to do it," Murphy told the Senate Commerce Committee Tuesday. "Everything else, including all my other bills, are really window dressing by comparison." Prices dropped slightly from record highs in 2023 Brady Deshaies, a lobbyist with the New Hampshire Municipal Association, was the lone opponent during a one-hour hearing on this bill. Creating artificial maximums will not necessarily lead to more housing because cities and towns lack the public works systems to support more development, he said. "One-size-fits-all mandates that overrule the votes of the legislative bodies, the voters of the municipality, they will not necessarily lead to more construction because without that infrastructure, you can't build the housing," Deshaies said. New Hampshire's median price of a home in 2023 crossed over $500,000, the ninth highest in the country. Prices dropped slightly and the median last November was at about $480,000. Murphy, who has a master's degree in community planning, said some private companies won't locate or expand here because workers are unable to afford apartments. "Make no mistake we are missing out on jobs and opportunities because of our anti-housing policies," Murphy said. Nick Taylor, director of Housing Action New Hampshire, said a study of the state's zoning atlas concluded only about 15% of buildable land is available for the construction of starter homes. Rob Dapice, executive director of New Hampshire Housing, said making changes to zoning ordinances to reflect these new lot maximums would not be a "heavy lift." "The status quo has gotten us to the situation that we are in and it's time to rebalance the equation," Dapice said. Matt Mayberry, CEO with the N.H. Homebuilders Association, said his group is willing to negotiate on these lot sizes, but said it's time for action. "We are sick of talking about the need for housing," Mayberry added. "Let's actually go get it done." klandrigan@
