New Hampshire is in a housing crisis. Everyone deserves a safe, decent, affordable place to live but people who have lived in New Hampshire for years are being priced out of their homes, whether rented or owned. We demand that New Hampshire lawmakers address the housing crisis by changing land use laws to allow for the creation of more housing, especially affordable housing, and create stronger protections for tenants and unhoused people. 

Land Use Laws 

One of the things holding NH back from building more affordable housing is figuring out where to put it. Current zoning laws prioritize single family homes on large lots in much of the state, which are unattainable to many people and are rarely affordable. NH lawmakers need to loosen zoning laws with the goal of allowing for more housing that is more affordable to be built. Specifically, we call for policies that would allow for accessory dwelling units to be built on existing properties, allow for existing single family homes to be renovated into multi-family units, and free up more land for larger multi-unit buildings, especially in areas close to public transportation and urban cores. We also demand that the state government provide adequate assistance to municipalities that need help changing their land use ordinances and face challenges building or upgrading the infrastructure needed to support new housing. 

Tenants Rights and Homeless Services

While the ultimate goal should be creating enough housing for everyone, we need protections now for houseless people and tenants. The lack of affordable housing allows landlords to take advantage of tenants with nowhere else to go, and houseless people ready for transitional housing are unable to find even the most basic housing options. We demand that NH state and local lawmakers enact laws to protect both these groups; we call for laws that would strengthen protections against evictions, guarantee tenants' right to legal counsel, make sure every houseless person has access to a bed, and create a coordinated housing first approach to ending homelessness in NH. 

Sign on to this petition to demand that NH state and local lawmakers create more affordable housing and pass protections for tenants and houseless people.

[This petition was created by the New Hampshire Youth Movement as part of a campaign to address New Hampshire's housing crisis with more affordable housing solutions. If you have any questions or would like to get more involved with this campaign, reach out to Sayles at sayles@nhyouthmovement.org.]