New Hampshire’s housing crisis has inspired Realtors, state and local chambers of commerce and industry trade groups to join forces.
Representatives of the New Hampshire Housing Supply Coalition gathered Tuesday in Concord to announce its mission to advocate for land use reform, regulatory and permitting reform, and program and funding support. More than 50 bills that address housing are pending before the Legislature.
Susan Cole, president of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, says the housing shortage leaves some would-be homebuyers in tears. “We talk a lot about statistics and housing, but it is important to always keep in mind that there are real people behind those statistics and real lives are being impacted.” (Photo by Mike Cote)
The coalition’s formation comes as housing topped the list of resident concerns in a recent UNH survey and the median price of a single-family home in New Hampshire tops $530,000. Housing prices are up nearly 60% over the last four years and have increased 275% over the past 25 years.
“Our economy and our economic competitiveness depend on a dynamic and skilled workforce,” said Mike Skelton, president and CEO of the Business and Industry Association. “Solving our housing supply and affordability crisis is absolutely essential if we’re going to retain and attract people to our state.”
One of the oldest states in the country has a graying workforce: “There’s one data point that keeps me up at night that is intertwined with this issue deeply: Twenty-seven percent of New Hampshire’s workforce is age 55 or older.”
Groups represented in the coalition include housing-related groups the NH Home Builders Association, Housing Action NH and New Hampshire Realtors, and industry groups NH Retail Association, NH Tech Alliance and New Hampshire Hospital Association, among many others.
Corinne Benfield, executive director of Stay Work Play NH, leads a nonprofit that aims to retain and attract workers in the state who are much younger than 55.
“When it comes to housing, this crisis disproportionately affects younger generations, individuals who face a staggering difference in the cost of living compared to past generations,” Benfield said.
She shared an anecdote about a colleague who has trouble making ends meet despite having a good job and a graduate degree, even with a side hustle to bring in extra income.
“Young first-time homebuyers are being shut out of the market altogether,” Benfield said.
Many others are sitting on the sidelines, said Susan Cole, owner of a real estate agency in Lebanon and the president of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, which represents more than 6,500 members.
“Realtors work with buyers struggling with the lack of affordable housing in New Hampshire,” Cole told the group. “We see the tears. We hear the pleas for more options. We are touched by the stories told to us, by those struggling to find a home, to meet their family needs.
“We talk a lot about statistics and housing, but it is important to always keep in mind that there are real people behind those statistics and real lives are being impacted,” she said.
Proposed solutions will mean compromises between the state and local municipalities, which largely control housing regulation. The coalition wants enough of the proposed bills to pass to build momentum, Skelton said.
Mike Skelton, president and CEO of the Business and Industry Association, announces the formation of the New Hampshire Housing Supply Coalition during a press conference Tuesday in Concord at the Legislative Office Building. (Photo by Mike Cote)
“We may not see all of those solutions, particularly the complex or controversial ones, get to the end of the road,” he said. “This coalition came together over the past several weeks and months to ensure that there is a unified voice calling for bold and decisive action on housing supply and affordability.”
Bob Quinn, CEO of New Hampshire Association of Realtors, said legislators seem more willing to address the issue than in past sessions.
“I think in the past you used to have to try to convince legislators that there was, in fact, a housing crisis,” Quinn said after the press conference. “What we’ve found with members of the coalition during this session is we don’t really have to try to convince anyone of that anymore. They’re hearing it from their constituents.
“When we talk to senators, they’ll tell us, ‘Hey, the first thing I hear when I go out, meet with my constituents is housing.’”
