three bills address affordable housing

Throughout the Seacoast and the rest of New Hampshire, many communities seem to treat workforce housing with little concern and, at times, outright contempt. Three bills now before the New Hampshire Legislature would ensure affordable housing developments receive a fair shot in municipalities throughout the state. Senate Bill 342 would establish a way for developers to appeal municipal actions that deny, impede or delay qualified proposals for workforce housing. Senate Bill 421 and House Bill 1472 would require municipal land use regulations to provide reasonable opportunities for the creation of workforce housing.

“Municipalities just want to build upscale housing on large lots,” said state Sen. Margaret Hassan (D-Exeter), a sponsor of SB 342 and SB 421. She said that many towns will create obstacles for workforce housing because they fear such developments will cost the town extra in terms of education and other public services. “What they’re not understanding is that this is a real barrier to the kind of commercial development that we also need for our tax base,” she said. 

These bills represent the most recent attempts to put into law the results of Britton v. Chester, a 1991 court case that ruled that state law prohibits town zoning ordinances that restrict opportunities for affordable housing for families with low or moderate incomes.

“Adding the weight of statute to court opinion, I think, will be significant. It will set a very clear precedent of how towns should work with developers,” said Dick Ingram, executive director of the The Housing Partnership in Portsmouth. He is concerned that the high price of housing is preventing many businesses from relocating to New Hampshire. “New Hampshire is losing jobs and tax revenue because we’re not providing housing,” he said.

SB 342 calls for an expedited appeal process, which means developers could quickly file their complaints about unfair municipal actions against workforce housing projects. Right now, some developers shy away from New Hampshire because of the difficulty of overcoming such obstacles.

“New Hampshire has become a place where they just don’t want to do business,” Hassan said. SB 342 is aimed at bringing that business back. “It’s a signal to those developers that want to build workforce housing,” she said.
Preliminary hearings were held two weeks ago. “The hearings last week were generally pretty business like. There is a desire to get something done,” Ingram said.

Both Senate bills received full hearings on March 4, with a vote scheduled for Thursday, March 13. The House Bill was also scheduled for a hearing during the first week of March. “I’m very optimistic and hopeful about these bills,” Hassan said. 

Seacoast Women’s Week kicks off this weekend

Saturday, March 8, is both International Women’s Day and the beginning of Seacoast Women’s Week in Portsmouth. The weeklong observance recognizes the vital role women play in all of our lives, while providing classes to better equip women for their expanding role in society. The classes are part of a half-day program that will include several inspirational speakers from the region, including keynote speaker Tammy Lenski.

Event coordinator Barbara Dunsford believes the classes will be especially pertinent to women on the Seacoast. All the classes were suggested by area women during the evaluation portion of last year’s event, she explained.

The list of classes includes financial planning, living green, life transitions, natural stress management, the Supermom syndrome and “everything you wanted to know about GYN but were afraid to ask.”

The “Supermom syndrome” may need a bit of explaining. “It’s basically the fact that mothers are juggling a full schedule of events,” Dunsford said. With increased responsibilities comes added pressure to be successful in every aspect of life. “The American dream is a myth. Do the best parenting job you can, and you will be ahead of the game,” Dunsford advised.

The event aims to build upon the success achieved during last year’s inaugural set of classes, when more than 100 women (and three men) attended the half-day session. If public interest continues to grow, Dunsford will look to add other events throughout the week.

This year’s classes will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the Community Campus in Portsmouth. To register, visit www.womenaidportsmouth.org or call Ocean Spirit Yoga at 603-766-0979. The deadline for registration is Thursday, March 6 at 5 p.m. Donations of $20 are suggested, with proceeds benefiting Womenaid of Greater Portsmouth. The non-profit organization provides short-term financial assistance to families in dire need of support. For more information regarding the event, call Barbara Dunsford at 603-436-8664 or visit www.womenaidportsmouth.org.