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 RSA 674:31 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows: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), and that has been purchased directly from a retailer and has not been previously placed for use as a permanent dwelling.

IV. "Retailer" means a person or entity engaged in the distribution or sale of manufactured homes.

3 New Section; Allowing New Manufactured Housing in Residential Zones. Amend RSA 674 by inserting after section 31-a the following new section:

674:31-b Permitting New Manufactured Housing on Individual Lots in Residential Zones.

I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, newly built manufactured homes on their own lots shall be permitted as a matter of right in all land areas and lots in districts zoned to permit residential uses within every municipality in the state. This paragraph shall not be construed to allow for the placement of mobile homes, trailers, or manufactured homes that have been previously placed for residential use at a different location.

II. Municipal zoning ordinances shall be amended to comply with this statute, ensuring that newly built manufactured homes are treated as a permitted use in all residential zones, within one year of the effective date.

III. Manufactured homes on their own lots shall comply with lot size, frontage requirements, space limitations, and other reasonable controls that apply to conventional single-family housing in the same district. This paragraph shall not be construed to prohibit a municipality from providing reduced lot sizes, frontage requirements, space limitations, and other reasonable controls for manufactured housing than required for conventional single-family housing in the same district.

IV. If a zoning ordinance contains no provisions pertaining to newly built manufactured homes, then it shall be deemed permitted as a matter of right, and no municipal permits or conditions shall be required other than a building permit, if necessary.

V. No municipality shall adopt or enforce any zoning ordinance, regulation, or policy that discriminates against newly built manufactured homes by prohibiting or unreasonably restricting their placement in residential zones.

4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

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), and that has been purchased directly from a retailer and has not been previously placed for use as a permanent dwelling.

IV. "Retailer" means a person or entity engaged in the distribution or sale of manufactured homes.

3 New Section; Allowing New Manufactured Housing in Residential Zones. Amend RSA 674 by inserting after section 31-a the following new section:

674:31-b Permitting New Manufactured Housing on Individual Lots in Residential Zones.

I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, newly built manufactured homes on their own lots shall be permitted as a matter of right in all land areas and lots in districts zoned to permit residential uses within every municipality in the state. This paragraph shall not be construed to allow for the placement of mobile homes, trailers, or manufactured homes that have been previously placed for residential use at a different location.

II. Municipal zoning ordinances shall be amended to comply with this statute, ensuring that newly built manufactured homes are treated as a permitted use in all residential zones, within one year of the effective date.

III. Manufactured homes on their own lots shall comply with lot size, frontage requirements, space limitations, and other reasonable controls that apply to conventional single-family housing in the same district. This paragraph shall not be construed to prohibit a municipality from providing reduced lot sizes, frontage requirements, space limitations, and other reasonable controls for manufactured housing than required for conventional single-family housing in the same district.

IV. If a zoning ordinance contains no provisions pertaining to newly built manufactured homes, then it shall be deemed permitted as a matter of right, and no municipal permits or conditions shall be required other than a building permit, if necessary.

V. No municipality shall adopt or enforce any zoning ordinance, regulation, or policy that discriminates against newly built manufactured homes by prohibiting or unreasonably restricting their placement in residential zones.

4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.