New Hampshire HB 1814: establishing a 10-year strategic housing and infrastructure plan.

Bill Text

HB 1814-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2866

 06/08

HOUSE BILL 1814-FN

AN ACT establishing a 10-year strategic housing and infrastructure plan.

SPONSORS: Rep. Muns, Rock. 29; Rep. Booras, Hills. 8; Rep. de Vries, Rock. 29; Rep. Hegner, Hills. 41; Rep. Howland, Straf. 20; Rep. Lane, Merr. 16; Rep. Maggiore, Rock. 23; Rep. D. Paige, Carr. 1; Rep. Read, Rock. 10; Rep. Stavis, Graf. 13; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21

COMMITTEE: Housing

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ANALYSIS

 This bill establishes a requirement for a 10-year strategic housing and infrastructure development plan under the council on housing stability, amends RSA 4-H to broaden council membership and duties, requires municipalities to update master plans at least every 10 years, and mandates 5-year housing progress reviews tied to regional housing needs assessments and municipal housing goals.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2866

 06/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT establishing a 10-year strategic housing and infrastructure plan.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Section; Strategic Housing and Infrastructure Development Plan. Amend RSA 4-H by inserting after section 3 the following new section: 

 4-H:3-a Strategic Housing and Infrastructure Development Plan. 

 I. The governor shall develop a statewide strategic housing and infrastructure development plan (SHIP) modeled after the statewide transportation improvement program. 

 II. The plan shall: 

 (a) Build upon the previous work and recommendations of the council on housing stability. 

 (b) Identify necessary infrastructure improvements to support housing development, including municipal and regional water and wastewater projects. 

 (c) Incorporate metropolitan and rural regional planning commission work identifying what the state’s projected housing needs are into a coherent statewide plan. 

 (d) Identify and incorporate all federal, state and locally supported permanent housing development projects into a coherent statewide plan. 

 III. The governor shall revise and update the SHIP every 2 years. Adoption of the SHIP and revised SHIP shall be as follows: 

 (a) Each metropolitan planning organization and rural regional planning commission shall reach agreement with the division of planning and community development within the department of business and economic affairs relative to funding unified planning work programs no later than December 1 of each even-numbered year. Each metropolitan planning organization and rural regional planning commission shall provide regional housing and infrastructure program (HIP) priorities to the division of planning and community development within the department of business and economic development no later than April 1 of each odd-numbered year. Such plans shall include public involvement and education to ensure early and adequate input from residents, municipalities and any other interested parties in New Hampshire. 

 (b) The commissioner of the department of business and economic affairs shall submit the tentative SHIP to the council on housing stability no later than September 1 of each odd-numbered year. 

 (c) The council on housing stability shall conduct at least one public hearing in each executive council district to present the tentative SHIP to the public and to receive public comments and recommendations regarding the program. The council on housing stability shall submit such program along with the council’s recommendations to the governor no later than December 1 of each odd-numbered year. Each metropolitan planning organization and rural regional planning commission should conduct an informational meeting after the council submits its recommendations to receive final public comments and recommendations regarding the proposed programs before adoption by the governor. 

 (d) The governor shall submit the SHIP to the general court to be acted on no later than January 15 of each even-numbered year. The SHIP shall be enacted by the general court by June 1 of each even-numbered year. 

 (e) Each metropolitan planning organization and the department of business and economic affairs shall continue its public involvement program by conducting public comment periods and public hearings for the regional HIP and statewide SHIP. Each metropolitan planning organization shall approve the regional HIP and the department of business and economic affairs shall incorporate the HIPs into the SHIP in whole.