In New Hampshire and throughout the country, scarce available housing and rising costs are putting a strain on families and hindering businesses from recruiting and retaining workers. Many residents, including young people, recent immigrants, low-income households and individuals experiencing homelessness, face additional housing related barriers. Impacts from the region’s housing challenges are rippling through our communities. Studying housing issues is a core-function of NH’s Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs). per RSA 36:47. In 2023, all nine RPCs completed a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA).

The 2023 Regional Housing Needs Assessment is intended to be a tool to assist the region’s communities in developing local master plans and to serve as a data resource for municipalities, nonprofit housing and social services organizations, developers, and other stakeholders. The RHNA provides a comprehensive overview of population trends, existing housing characteristics and conditions, market trends, and future housing needs. There is also a specific focus on populations of interest such as people experiencing homelessness. Further, it is a tool to assist municipalities in complying with New Hampshire’s Workforce Housing statute (RSA 674:58-61). 

Regional Housing Needs Assessment Report & Appendix Documents
2023 Regional Housing Needs Assessment
Appendix A
Appendix B

As part of our initiative, NRPC conducted a General Housing Survey from February - April 2022. The purpose of the survey was to help NRPC further understand the housing needs of the Nashua Region and learn about specific community needs. The survey consisted of 35 questions, with a total of 314 completed responses. 

• NRPC RHNA General Survey 2022 Results
  
• View the Survey Questions Here
  
  

Relevant Documents
Council on Housing Stability 2021-2024 Strategic Plan
New Hampshire Housing’s June 2022 Housing Market Report
New Hampshire Housing’s 2022 Residential Rental Cost Survey Report

---

NH Housing Toolbox - Planning and Zoning Strategies for Housing Production in New Hampshire Communities
The New Hampshire Housing Toolbox is a project that compiles and describes many of the tools available to New Hampshire cities and towns to produce more housing, especially more housing that is aligned with community needs. Government officials and local housing advocates can use this toolbox to learn what tools might be right for their community, quickly understand how the tools can be used, and know where to look for detailed information and precedents. Some of these tools are broad approaches to development that municipalities can think about, while others are specific regulations or programs that municipalities can implement. 

There are seven broad themes addressed in this toolbox:

• Housing Options: Production of a variety of housing options, including options that are more affordable and accessible than conventional housing development.

• Housing Costs: Production of housing that is more likely to cost less than conventional housing development.

• Affordable Housing: Production of housing that is formally offered at below-market rates, typically due to some form of subsidy. Often this is nonprofit housing.

• Sustainable Housing: Production of housing that is less resource intensive and land-consuming than conventional development.

• Multigenerational: Production of housing that encourages communities with people of all ages, and allows for multigenerational living patterns for families and others.

• Infrastructure: Deals with constraints on infrastructure capacity and maintenance, including road and utility.

• Redevelopment: Deals with the redevelopment of complex sites in previously developed areas that have gone through disinvestment.