Affordable Housing in New Hampshire:
Southern New Hampshire has seen the cost of land skyrocket in the past 8 years. Building materials and labor costs have also increased. These factors are making it less economical to build smaller homes that first time buyers can actually afford.
It is also more difficult to find and develop land in Southern New Hampshire. Most areas call for more affordable housing options, however many towns, particularly in my area have voted to increase the minimum acreage and road frontage required for a building lot! Road costs are also very expensive and tend to prohibit building starter homes in single family developments.
Overall the State of New Hampshire is working to pass regulations that should make it easier to create building lots, however it is early in the process. One new law comes into effect in July of 2026 that should allow building a home off of a class six road. This is a step in the right direction, New Hampshire should allow land owners to build homes on land that can be reasonably accessed by the land owner. If emergency vehicles aren’t able to access the property the owner should only have to sign a waiver with the town.
