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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.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.
(f) Three times per year, the SHIP and HIPs shall be amended to make adjustments to projects whose scopes, schedules or budgets need to be adjusted. The department of business and economic affairs will prepare and release SHIP/HIP amendments to the metropolitan planning organizations and rural regional planning commissions.
(g) The metropolitan planning organizations shall have 60 days from the receipt of each amendment to prepare, receive public comments, approve and transmit the updated HIPs to the department of business and economic affairs. The department of business and economic affairs shall incorporate the HIP amendments into the SHIP in whole.
2 New Subparagraph; Commission on Housing Stability; Membership. Amend RSA 4-H:2, I by inserting after subparagraph (10) the following new subparagraph:
(11) A representative of the division of planning and community development, department of business and economic affairs.
3 Council on Housing Stability. Amend RSA 4-H:2, I(n) to read as follows:
(n) [A representative of a regional planning council] One representative of a metropolitan planning organization and one representative from a rural regional planning commission, appointed by the council.
4 New Subparagraphs; Council on Housing Stability; Membership. Amend RSA 4-H:2, I by inserting after subparagraph (w) the following new subparagraphs:
(x) A representative of a statewide organization representing persons with disabilities, appointed by the governor.
(y) Three town managers or their designees, representing different regions of New Hampshire, appointed by the New Hampshire Municipal Association.
5 New Subparagraph; Council on Housing Stability; Duties. Amend RSA 4-H:3, I by inserting after subparagraph (i) the following new subparagraph:
(j) Review the 10-year statewide housing and infrastructure plan (SHIP) prepared by the division of planning and community development within the department of business and economic affairs, 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, and submit such program along with the council’s recommendations to the governor no later than December 1 of each odd-numbered year in accordance with RSA 4-H:3-a.
6 Master Plan Preparation. Amend RSA 674:3, II to read as follows:
II. Revisions to the plan [are recommended every 5 to] shall be every 10 years.
7 New Section; Housing Progress Review Requirement. Amend RSA 674 by inserting after section 3 the following new section:
674:3-a Housing Progress Review.
I. Five years after adopting or updating the municipal master plan under RSA 674:3, the municipality shall conduct a housing progress review. The review shall:
(a) Assess progress toward implementing housing goals in its master plan.
(b) Incorporate the latest regional housing needs assessment prepared by the relevant metropolitan planning organization or rural regional planning commission.
(c) Evaluate the effectiveness of zoning ordinances and housing incentives adopted in the preceding 5 years in meeting the municipality’s housing needs.
II. The municipal review shall be submitted to the division of planning and community development and the council on housing stability for inclusion in the latest update of the 10-year statewide housing and infrastructure plan (SHIP).
8 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
26-2866
12/16/25
HB 1814-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT establishing a 10-year strategic housing and infrastructure plan.
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | FY 2029 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | Indeterminable Increase $261,000+ | Indeterminable Increase $273,000+ | Indeterminable Increase $285,000+ | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
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Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||
| FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | FY 2029 | ||
County Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
County Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Local Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable Increase | ||||
The Office of Legislative Budget Assistant is unable to provide a complete fiscal note for this bill as it is awaiting information from the Governor's Office. The Department was initially contacted on 11/20/25 for a fiscal note worksheet, with follow-up contact made on 12/8/25. When completed, the fiscal note will be forwarded to the House Clerk's Office.
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires the Governor to develop a statewide strategic housing and infrastructure development plan (SHIP) which shall be revised every two years. The plan is to integrate input from metropolitan and rural regional planning commissions, identify infrastructure needs, and identify and incorporate housing development efforts across federal, state, and local levels into a statewide plan. Metropolitan planning organizations and rural regional planning commissions must, by December 1 of each even-numbered year, agree with the Division of Planning and Community Development on funding for unified planning work programs. By April 1 of each odd-numbered year, they must submit regional housing and infrastructure priorities, incorporating public input.
The Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) through the Division of Planning and Community Development anticipates needing three new full-time management analysts to fulfill the bill’s requirements for developing the Strategic Housing and Infrastructure Plan (SHIP), with projected costs of $261,000 in FY 2027, $273,000 in FY 2028, and $285,000 in FY 2029. The bill does not clarify how public outreach efforts will be funded, nor does it specify the amount or source of funding for unified planning work programs. As a result, the Division cannot fully determine the fiscal impact, leading to an indeterminable increase in state or local expenditures.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Business and Economic Affairs and Governor's Office
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 20, 2026 | House | Hearing |
Jan. 8, 2026: Public Hearing: 01/20/2026 03:00 pm GP 231
Dec. 18, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Housing HJ 1