Governor signs bills into law aimed at alleviating housing crisis

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PROGRESS IS BEING MADE IN KEY AREAS AT THE STATE HOUSE. BUDGET DRAMA DOMINATED THE FINAL DAYS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT UNDER THOSE HEADLINES, A NUMBER OF HOUSING POLICY BILLS MADE IT TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK, AND SHE RECENTLY SIGNED SEVERAL OF THEM INTO LAW. THIS IS A GREAT YEAR FOR HOUSING REFORM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. THERE WERE 15 SIGNIFICANT HOUSING BILLS THAT PASSED. THAT’S UP FROM ONLY THREE BILLS THAT PASSED LAST YEAR. WE SAW A BIG STEP FORWARD IN TERMS OF RESULTS. MICHAEL SKELTON HELPS LEAD THE HOUSING SUPPLY COALITION THAT FORMED JUST THIS YEAR. HE’S TOUTING BILLS THAT MAY NOT HAVE DRAWN MUCH ATTENTION BUT WILL MAKE A REAL IMPACT, INCLUDING AN EXPANSION OF THE STATE’S ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT LAW, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO BUILD DETACHED ADUS ON THEIR PROPERTY. AND A BILL AIMING TO BOOST MIXED USE PROJECTS BY ALLOWING MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS ON LAND ZONED FOR COMMERCIAL USE. ANOTHER BILL JUST SIGNED INTO LAW CREATES A NEW COMMISSION TO STUDY ZONING LAW AND CONSIDER CHANGES THAT COULD LOWER BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT. LOCAL CONTROL HAS BECOME A BIG PART OF THIS DEBATE. ALL OF THE RHETORIC THAT OCCURRED THIS SESSION ABOUT HOUSING HAS REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON HOW CAN WE OVERRIDE LOCAL ZONING? WHAT MANDATES CAN WE CREATE? AND THERE HASN’T BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT REALLY INCENTIVIZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING INVESTMENTS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT AFFORDABILITY. THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT BREAKS NEATLY DOWN PARTIZAN LINES, AND ANALYSTS SAY EVEN THE VOTERS SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE LOCAL LEVEL. SO THAT’S WHERE IT GETS COMPLICATED, BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, OKAY, YEAH, I RECOGNIZE HOUSING IS A PROBLEM, BUT DO I WANT AN APARTMENT BUILDING OR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING GOING IN IN MY TOWN? SO THAT’S WHERE IT TENDS TO CUT BOTH WAYS AS A POLITICAL ISSUE.