Housing Challenges & Solutions

New Hampshire’s economic well-being depends on a sufficient supply of housing to support our diverse workforce. By ensuring there is a balanced and affordable supply of housing in our state, New Hampshire businesses – present and future – will view our state as an attractive place to live and work. In our communities, the interplay of demand, demographics, land use regulations, development, geography, and other factors can make it difficult to find affordable housing solutions for our workforce.

• Approaching your community’s housing challenges – and the possible solutions – with curiosity, creativity,
  and willingness to explore is key.
• Engaging community members and coming together to look at tools and techniques to expand housing diversity, supply, and affordability starts here.

Have you come across some housing terms that need a definition? Click here for some explanations.

THE ISSUES, CHALLENGES, AND SOLUTIONS

While there is agreement that New Hampshire has a housing crisis — a severe lack of a diverse rental and for-sale housing inventory, how to address the shortfall will require a multi-pronged focus. There are many reasons for the shortage: a misalignment between housing supply and future demand, shifts in housing preferences among younger generations, and an aging population, among them. In particular, restrictive city and town land use regulations have made it difficult for developers to add new housing stock in communities around the state.

In 2023, New Hampshire Housing published the New Hampshire Statewide Housing Needs Assessment. As part of its statutory responsibilities, New Hampshire Housing regularly conducts an assessment of the state’s housing market and housing needs. The 2023 assessment will guide decisions affecting housing production and choice by providing regional and statewide data on supply and production, affordability challenges, housing needs, and projected housing demand. The report’s Executive Summary features five key findings, and includes how many housing units the state needs in the next two decades, as well as demographic and market trends, rental and homeownership challenges, and a look at how we can meet New Hampshire’s housing needs.

WHAT’S YOUR INTEREST IN HOUSING IN OUR STATE?

The links below take you to content to help you hone in on information. By learning more about housing issues and your community, you can help ensure that all Granite Staters have a place to call home.