BEDFORD, N.H – July 28, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Since the New Hampshire Legislature enacted the workforce housing statute, many of the State’s municipalities have sought the help of New Hampshire Housing as they work to understand the housing market and to provide opportunities for the development of workforce housing.
In response to this need for assistance, in early 2009 New Hampshire Housing assembled an advisory committee and hired consultants to develop written guidance for local action under the workforce housing statute. This resulting guidebook, Meeting the Workforce Housing Challenge, is now available to help local land use boards to address the requirements of the statute and shape future growth consistent with their vision for dynamic, healthy communities.
The challenge faced by New Hampshire’s cities and towns is to determine if their zoning and land use regulations provide a reasonable and realistic opportunity for the development of workforce housing, as required by the law. The new guidebook discusses methods of determining whether the community already complies with the law and, if not, the steps that municipality can take to meet the law’s requirements. The guidebook gives examples of what some of the state’s communities have already done to encourage workforce housing development. It offers a range of options that would be suitable for use in either large or small communities and in a manner that best fits the community’s unique regulatory environment and culture.
Meeting the Workforce Housing Challenge is available from New Hampshire Housing at www.nhhfa.org/rl_WHguide.cfm.
New Hampshire Housing is a self supporting public benefit corporation established by the state Legislature. The Authority operates a number of programs designed to assist-low and moderate-income person to obtain housing. Since its inception, New Hampshire Housing has helped more than 37,000 families purchase their own homes and has been instrumental in financing the creation of more than 14,000 multi-family housing units. More information about single family and multi-family housing programs offered by New Hampshire Housing may be found on the Authority’s Web site.
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