Revision: Jan. 3, 2023, 2:37 p.m.
2023 SESSION
23-1009.0
09/04
SENATE BILL [bill number]
AN ACT relative to affordable housing.
SPONSORS: [sponsors]
COMMITTEE: [committee]
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ANALYSIS
This bill creates a housing champion program, and makes appropriations to the department of health and human services to support emergency shelter programs.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
23-1009.0
09/04
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three
AN ACT relative to affordable housing.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Chapter; Housing Champion Certification. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 204-D the following new chapter:
CHAPTER 204-E
Housing Champion Certification
204-E:1 Housing Champion Certification Established.
I. The office of planning and development shall develop a New Hampshire housing champion certification program for all qualifying municipalities. The office of planning and development shall adopt rules to establish qualifications and procedures for a municipality to earn the New Hampshire housing champion certification. The procedure for a municipality to earn the New Hampshire housing champion certification shall be based on a scoring system.
II. The New Hampshire housing champion certification program shall be voluntary. Each municipality shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to apply to the office of planning and development to receive the New Hampshire housing champion certification. In exchange for housing champion certification, a municipality shall receive preferential access to state resources including, but not limited to, discretionary state infrastructure funds, as available.
204-E:2 Qualifications. Qualifications to receive the New Hampshire housing champion certification shall include, but are not limited to:
I. Adoption of such land use regulations and ordinances which the office of planning and development determines to be necessary to promote the development of workforce housing, as that term is defined in RSA 674:58, and other types of housing necessary for the economic development of the state. In this paragraph, "land use regulations and ordinances" shall include, but are not limited to, innovative land use controls described in RSA 674:21.
II. Adoption of financial tools that incentivize the development of workforce housing, including adoption of the community revitalization tax relief incentive program under RSA 79-E and establishment of municipal economic development and revitalization districts under RSA 162-K.
III. Training of planning board and zoning board of adjustment members using training materials and programs, including online materials and programs, provided by the office of planning and development pursuant to RSA 673:3-a; or training materials and programs, including online materials and programs, provided by the New Hampshire Municipal Association, that cover the processes, procedures, regulations, and statutes related to the board on which the member serves; or any other training materials and programs, including online materials and programs, approved by the office of planning and development, that cover the processes, procedures, regulations, and statutes related to the board on which the member serves.
IV. Adoption of energy efficiency residential building standards, pursuant to RSA 674:51, or adoption of an energy efficiency and clean energy district, pursuant to RSA 53-F.
204-E:3 Validity of Certification. A New Hampshire housing champion certification shall be valid for 3 years from the date such certification is awarded. A municipality may renew its housing champion certification for subsequent 3-year periods. The office of planning and development shall include in the criteria for renewal performance metrics including, but not limited to, the qualifications listed in RSA 204-E:2, III, total housing production, and production of workforce housing in a municipality during the period since a municipality last received New Hampshire housing champion certification.
204-E:4 Housing Champion Advisory Board.
I. There is hereby established the New Hampshire housing champion certification program advisory board. The advisory board shall review and approve proposed rules, and any amendments thereto, used by the office of planning and development to administer the housing champion certification program and shall advise the office regarding ongoing program administration. The advisory board shall consist of:
(a) One member of the senate, appointed by the senate president.
(b) Two members of the house of representatives, at least one of whom shall be a member of the municipal and county government committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(c) The commissioner of the department of business and economic affairs, or designee.
(d) The executive director of the business finance authority, or designee.
(e) The executive director of the New Hampshire housing finance authority, or designee.
(f) The executive director of the community development finance authority, or designee.
(g) The executive director of the state commission for human rights, or designee.
(h) One member appointed by each of the following entities:
(1) The New Hampshire Municipal Association.
(2) The New Hampshire Association of Regional Planning Commissions.
(3) Housing Action New Hampshire.
(4) Clean Energy New Hampshire.
(5) The Home Builders and Remodelers Association of New Hampshire.
(6) The New Hampshire Association of Realtors.
(7) The New Hampshire Planners Association.
(8) Plan New Hampshire.
VI. Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation, except that legislative members of the board shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the board.
204-E:5 Rulemaking Authority. The office of planning and development shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A to implement the provisions of this section no later than July 1, 2023. During the rulemaking process, the office of planning and development shall consult with relevant state agencies and entities that administer the programs and funds identified under paragraph II to ensure the rules for the New Hampshire housing champion certification program are not in conflict with the rules of these state agencies and entities.
204-E:6 Annual Report. Each year the office of planning and development shall develop a report which describes all actions taken related to the operation of the housing champion certification program and assesses the overall impact of the housing champion certification program, including an assessment of the additional housing units produced in the state as a result of the program’s operation and incentives. The report required by this paragraph shall be submitted to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate on or before November 1 of each year, beginning in 2023, and upon such submission, the report shall be posted online on the website of the office of planning and development.
2 Department of Health and Human Services; Homeless and Housing Shelter Program; Appropriations.
I. The sum of $8,000,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2025 is hereby appropriated to the department of health and human services to support:
(a) Existing shelter programs with the increased costs to maintain their current bed capacity;
(b) Existing and new shelter programs, which shall include use of hotel beds as appropriate), to add bed capacity to the shelter system in New Hampshire; and to the
(c) Operation of time-limited winter shelters.
II. The sum of $2,000,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2025 is hereby appropriated to the department of health and human services to support:
(a) Housing stabilization services; and
(b) Eviction prevention.
III. The appropriations made in this section shall be in addition to any other funds appropriated to the department. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sums out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.