Mandates on Parking Curbed
Senate Bill 284 allows municipalities to regulate parking up to no more than one space per residential unit. The House passed the bill last week, 197-144. NHAR supports the legislation.
Opponents argued SB 284 removes local authority over parking requirements for new developments. Proponents countered that planning boards often mandate far more parking spaces than needed, wasting land and increasing costs. Legislators indicated that developers know the needs of their tenants better than planning board members. The sponsors of the bill pointed out that a developer recognizes that if they do not provide adequate parking for tenants, those tenants will likely look elsewhere.
The House and Senate versions of Senate Bill 284 are not identical in language, so either the Senate will need to defer to the House version or ask for a Committee of Conference in order to work out an acceptable compromise.
Simplifying alteration of terrain permitting
Senate Bill 110 seeks to streamline the state’s terrain alteration permitting process (RSA 485-A:17) by establishing predictable application fees and simplifying permitting through a new permit by notification (PBN) process for projects under 150,000 square feet, thereby avoiding a more costly permitting procedure. The NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) had no objections to the legislation. NHAR supports the bill.
The bill has passed by the Senate and House, and it still needs to be reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee before heading to Governor’s desk. If signed, the DES may need to promulgate regulations before it can go into law.
Increasing the homestead exemption
House Bill 617 would expand the homestead right for homeowners in New Hampshire by increasing the exemptions. The exemption is currently set at $120,000 for single individuals and $240,000 for a married couple. The exemption right has not been raised since 2015.
The Senate version of the bill would raise the homestead exemption for single individuals from $120,000 to $350,000. The amendment also adjusts certain language in the bill in order to be more inclusive of those who jointly own a home but are not married by increasing the homestead exemption for all persons with an interest from $240,000 to $500,000. The House version increased the exemption to $1,000,000.
The Senate and House will need to work out their differences before the bill can go to the Governor for her signature.
Quotes of the Week
“The more units we create, the more opportunities we get for our young people to live and stay and work here, and the more opportunities we give to homeless service providers to move people out of homelessness and into housing.”
–Concord Mayor Byron Champlin, commenting on reports that Concord gained just 574 units between 2010 and 2022, a modest 3 percent increase. Over the past five years in Concord, the median home price rose 70 percent and median rent climbed nearly 30 percent. (Concord Monitor, April 25, 2025)
“We have businesses losing talent either through people moving out of the area because housing is too expensive or not accepting jobs because there is so little inventory available. Employees are being priced out of the region.”
–Scott Young, chairman of the Upper Valley Business Alliance, commenting on the lack of housing in the Lebanon/Hanover region. (The Registry Review, April 28, 2025)
For more information, contact New Hampshire Realtors CEO Bob Quinn: bob@nhar.com.
