New Hampshire HB 1357: permitting in all residentially zoned areas by right the placement of newly constructed manufactured homes.

Bill Text

HB 1357 - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-3065

 06/09

HOUSE BILL 1357

AN ACT permitting in all residentially zoned areas by right the placement of newly constructed manufactured homes.

SPONSORS: Rep. Osborne, Rock. 2; Rep. Rice, Hills. 38; Rep. Alexander Jr., Hills. 29; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16

COMMITTEE: Housing

-----------------------------------------------------------------

ANALYSIS

 This bill permits newly built manufactured homes as of right on individual lots in all residential zones statewide and prohibits discriminatory zoning restrictions against them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-3065

 06/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT permitting in all residentially zoned areas by right the placement of newly constructed manufactured homes.

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

 1 Purpose. The general court of New Hampshire finds that:

 I. The state of New Hampshire is currently experiencing a shortage of attainable homeownership which is harming the ability of Granite Staters to live and work in our state and businesses' ability to hire qualified workers. 

 II. As a result of this shortage, young people looking to achieve the American Dream and buy their first home are forced to continue renting or leave the state, and elderly Granite Staters looking to downsize are left with few options that allow them to age in place. 

 III. The state of New Hampshire should take a free market-based approach to housing and support more attainable homeownership options by cutting red tape and supporting common-sense laws that protect private property rights and allow individuals to place homes on their own land regardless of whether they were constructed in a factory or on site. 

 IV. New manufactured homes are a quality, affordable, durable, and attractive option for homeownership across New Hampshire. Allowing more manufactured homes will help to alleviate the state’s housing shortage and enable more Granite Staters to achieve the American Dream of homeownership. 

 V. Trailers and mobile homes are not the same as manufactured homes. 

 VI. Allowing more manufactured homes will not result in more trailers or mobile homes. Unlike trailers or mobile homes, manufactured homes must meet strict quality, safety, and durability standards that ensure they are suitable for permanent living. Manufactured homes are built using the same materials as site-built housing and also appreciate in value. 

 VII. Increasing manufactured housing options will support our state’s essential workers and our nation’s heroes. A significant portion of residents of manufactured housing are veterans, firefighters, law enforcement officers, nursing and healthcare professionals, teachers, and other critical employees. 

 VIII. The cost of buying a home has reached new heights. Manufactured homes are high quality, attractive, and are on par with traditional housing. Restricting this option simply because they were built off-site only prevents more attainable homeownership options from becoming available. 

 2 Manufactured Housing Definition. RSA 674:31 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows: 

 674:31 Definitions. As used in this subdivision: 

 I. "Manufactured housing" means any structure transportable in one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode, is 8 body feet or more in width and 40 body feet or more in length, or when erected on site, is 320 square feet or more, and which is built with or without a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to required utilities, which include plumbing, heating, and electrical heating systems contained therein. Manufactured housing as defined in this section shall not include campers or recreation vehicles as defined in RSA 216-I:1, VIII and RSA 259:84-a; or pre-site built housing as defined in RSA 674:31-a. 

 II. “Mobile home” means any structure designed for use as a permanent dwelling built off-site prior to 1976 and not built in accordance with federal manufactured home construction and safety standards. Mobile homes as defined in this section include dwellings referred to as “trailers.” 

 III. “New manufactured home” means any manufactured home built with or without a chassis, built in conformance with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards first enacted in 1976, RSA 205-D, and installed per the New Hampshire manufactured housing installation standards (Inst 700), an