HB 2 - NYU Furman Center

State Land Use Enacted Legislation

Bill #	State	Year	Party	Topic
HB 2	NH	2023	R	Affordable housing incentives and financing, Appeals, Funding, Pro-Housing Designation, Technical assistance, Workforce Housing

Provided by Furman

Summary

This is an omnibus bill. It includes several provisions relevant to housing, including:

Chapter 79:111: Establishes the land use review docket in the superior court and increases the amount of associate justices of the superior court to 22.

Chapter 79:140 and 79:462: Establishes a New Hampshire housing champion designation program, including a housing production municipal grant program, and a housing infrastructure municipal grant and loan program.

This is a voluntary program. In exchange for New Hampshire housing champion designation, a municipality shall receive preferential access to state resources including, but not limited to, discretionary state infrastructure funds, as available.

Adoption of such land use regulations and ordinances which the department determines to be necessary to promote the development of workforce housing.

Training of planning board and zoning board of adjustment members using training materials and programs.

Implementation of sewer and water infrastructure improvements intended to support the development of workforce housing.

Implementation of public transportation, sidewalks, or other walkability infrastructure intended to support the development of workforce housing.

The department shall establish a grant program for municipalities that have made a commitment to facilitating increased housing production.

Municipalities that are designated by the department as New Hampshire housing champion communities will be eligible to apply for the grants.

The department shall establish a New Hampshire Housing Champion program advisory committee to review and make recommendations on initial rules.

Chapter 79:195: Directs the department of health and human services, the housing finance authority, New Hampshire employment security, and the department of energy to study the creation, funding, and implementation of graduated public assistance programs to complement existing programs within the state, and appropriates funds to the department of health and human services. The housing finance authority shall study the creation, funding, and implementation of a graduated, proportional rental assistance housing choice voucher program for individuals who do not qualify for existing assistance within the state.

Establishes in the office of the state treasurer a fund to be known as the InvestNH fund.

The department shall establish a program to make grants and loans for the purpose of improving the ability to accelerate the approval of affordable workplace housing, and other types of housing determined by the department to be important for the economic development of the state.

Grants and loans may be made by the department to municipalities and to housing developers in which at least 20 percent of the housing units to be developed will be affordable for a period of at least 10 years. Such units will be affordable to and intended for occupancy by households with incomes up to 80 percent of the area median income, as established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Chapter 79:196: The sum of $1,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 is appropriated to the department of health and human services for the purpose of funding congregate housing provided for under the Medicaid waiver and congregate services.

Provided by lawmakers