As new estimates show the state needs 60,000 units to meet housing demands by 2030, reconfiguring zoning codes is one key solution to building necessary units.  

In Merrimack County, the towns of Warner, Boscawen and Hopkinton will have some help doing so from grants from the state’s InvestNH housing program. 

The Housing Opportunity Planning Grant Program provides funding for municipalities to hire consultants to assess housing needs and make changes – like updating master plans, revising zoning laws and analyzing data regarding number of units and affordability. 

This funding is available in three subsets – a Needs Analysis and Planning, Regulatory Audits and Regulatory Development grants. 

In the first phase, applicants can better understand different types of housing, and how much is needed. The second phase provides funding to identify barriers to development, while the last allows for municipalities to revise regulations like zoning and local building codes. 

In towns like Warner, the desire to preserve rural character, while balancing the need for more housing options, is a constant tension when it comes to planning and development. 

Town assessing data obtained by the Monitor from February shows single-family homes dominate in town. Out of the 1,175 residential properties in Warner, less than 30 are multifamily. Put another way, 97.5% of all homes are built and designed as single-family houses.

Now, the InvestNH grant can help Warner assess different housing options, as well as needs and barriers to affordable development.

New Hampshire Housing has awarded Housing Opportunity Planning grants to 46 municipalities so far. Recipients are chosen through an application process where towns and cities have to detail their housing challenges, project goals, scope of work and budget, among other narratives. 

In July Governor Chris Sununu announced the $100 million InvestNH program to help accelerate affordable housing in the state through grants to both developers for construction and municipalities for planning purposes. 

Out of the fund, $5 million was allocated for the municipal grant program. Grant sizes vary depending on town needs – with three rounds of funding that total up to $175,000 per applicant. 

Warner has received just over $11,000 for phase one, to focus on analyzing their housing needs and master plans. 

Boscawen was approved for $26,960, which will be used update the housing chapter in the town’s master plan, which was last revised in 2001. The town will also look at ordinances for zoning districts, like the Mill Redevelopment District. 

Hopkinton was approved for $18,500 for a housing needs analysis and planning.

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