From Our House to the State House
Shifting narratives, empowering communities, and driving policy to end homelessness and create affordable homes for all.
How we advocate
At Home for All, we advance housing solutions by organizing locally, regionally, and statewide. We mobilize residents and equip them with the tools to speak up in support of diverse housing opportunities across the entire housing continuum. Whether it's backing a local development to get it over the finish line, showing up at City Council meetings, or testifying at the State House, we work to expand access to safe, stable, and affordable homes. We also collaborate with statewide and national partners to advocate for policies and funding that prioritize deeply affordable housing. Together, we’re building a region where everyone has a place to call home.
Our Guiding Principles
We are committed to supporting policies that create meaningful, lasting solutions to address housing challenges in our communities. Guided by the belief that housing is a human right and a fundamental need, our advocacy and education efforts focus on advancing equitable, innovative, and impactful policies at both the state and federal levels. Through our guiding principles, we work to promote policies that foster housing stability, equity, and opportunity for all.
Our policy priorities include:
Closing the Affordability Gap
Home for All supports housing solutions across the full continuum—from emergency shelter to homes affordable to moderate-income households. However, our top policy priority is increasing the supply of deeply affordable housing for individuals and families earning at or below 60% of Area Median Income (AMI). These are the households most vulnerable to homelessness and housing instability—and the most underserved by current housing production and financing systems in New Hampshire. While housing at all income levels is needed, we focus on advancing policies and investments that target the acute shortage of deeply affordable units and prioritize those with the greatest barriers to stable housing.
Financing the Full Housing Continuum
Home for All advocates for sustained, coordinated investment across the housing continuum—from emergency shelter and supportive housing to homes affordable to low- and moderate-income households. Addressing New Hampshire’s housing crisis requires not only more funding, but smarter alignment of existing resources. We support policies that strengthen and expand key financing tools, including the Affordable Housing Fund, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), capital budgets, housing trust funds, rental assistance, and other flexible mechanisms. Producing housing at scale—especially for those with the greatest needs—demands layered, reliable funding that is tailored to the realities of development and service delivery in our region.
Data, Learning, & Collective Impact
Home for All supports policies that strengthen data collection, research, and public education as essential foundations for collective impact. Solving New Hampshire’s housing and homelessness challenges requires shared understanding of the problem, transparent use of data, and continuous learning across sectors. We advocate for investments in research and education that inform decision-making, align efforts, and drive measurable outcomes—ensuring policies and programs are rooted in evidence and responsive to real community needs.
Supportive Housing & Stabilization Services
We advocate for policies that expand access to supportive housing and the services necessary to ensure long-term housing stability for individuals and families exiting shelter or housing instability. In New Hampshire, supportive housing and ongoing housing stability services have been historically underfunded, despite being essential to preventing returns to homelessness. We support sustained investment in service-enriched housing models that pair affordable homes with wraparound supports like case management, mental health care, and substance use treatment—especially for those with complex needs
Advancing Equitable Housing Access
We support policies that ensure everyone—regardless of background or circumstance—has a fair opportunity to access safe, stable housing. We advocate for policies that address systemic barriers such as restrictive tenant screening practices, credit history requirements, and criminal background policies that disproportionately impact low-income households, people of color, and other marginalized communities. Expanding access means addressing the root causes of exclusion and ensuring housing systems work for those most often left out.
Innovative & Scalable Solutions
We support policies that foster bold, community-driven approaches to housing and supportive service delivery—while also investing in scaling what works. Solving the housing crisis requires both creativity and commitment: piloting new models, reimagining underused assets, and expanding proven strategies that meet local needs. We champion efforts that break from the status quo to deliver lasting, equitable impact across the housing continuum.
Zoning Reform and Smart Density
Home for All supports policies that enable greater housing density, particularly in communities where restrictive land use regulations limit the development of affordable and deeply affordable homes. In New Hampshire, where land constraints and outdated zoning practices drive up costs, increasing density is essential to expanding supply and promoting housing choice. We advocate for zoning reforms that legalize and encourage tools like infill development, “light-touch” density, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and small-scale multifamily housing. These strategies help communities make better use of existing infrastructure, reduce per-unit costs, and create more inclusive, flexible, and responsive housing opportunities.
Building a Stronger New Hampshire, Together
Funding
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Allocate additional targeted resources to both the development of supportive housing and the strengthening of services designed to address the diverse needs of vulnerable populations, ensuring sustained housing stability. New Hampshire faces a critical shortage of supportive housing options that provide wraparound services essential for long-term stability and self-sufficiency.
Supportive housing combines affordable housing with vital services like mental health counseling, substance use treatment, employment assistance, and individualized case management, all of which help tenants maintain stable housing. However, many regional service providers are underfunded and lack the capacity to offer ongoing support once individuals transition out of shelters or temporary housing programs. This gap in service delivery leaves populations with complex needs—such as mental health issues, disabilities, or histories of homelessness—at higher risk of returning to homelessness.
Investing in service-oriented housing will ensure that vulnerable groups—including survivors of domestic violence, refugees, seniors, and individuals with disabilities—receive the support they need to live safely and independently, empowering them to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
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New Hampshire’s shelters are a critical safety net for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, yet they remain under-resourced and largely dependent on private donations to maintain operations. This funding model places unsustainable pressure on shelter providers, forcing them to raise as much as 60-70% of their annual revenue from private donors. This heavy reliance on private contributions creates year-to-year uncertainty, hindering shelters’ ability to plan, expand, and deliver essential services consistently.
To address the rising demand for emergency housing and ensure shelters can operate as reliable, low-barrier resources, New Hampshire must commit to increased state funding for shelter providers. Additional support would enable providers to expand capacity, meet the urgent needs of those facing homelessness, and ensure that safe, immediate shelter is available to all who need it—without restrictive entry requirements that may exclude vulnerable populations.
Expanding low-barrier shelter options not only aligns with the state’s responsibility to care for its most vulnerable residents but also reduces the strain on emergency services, which are often a costly and inefficient substitute for shelter.
By investing in sustainable shelter funding, New Hampshire can take a proactive approach to homelessness, offering a critical first step toward stable housing and fostering healthier, more resilient communities.
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Utilize landlord incentives to encourage participation in federally assisted housing programs. Units rented to tenants in federally assisted housing programs, such as the Housing Choice Voucher program, must meet HUD’s Housing Quality Standards (HQS), which are generally stricter than local codes. Many older properties don’t meet these standards, and smaller landlords often lack the necessary funding for upgrades to be “voucher ready.”
Additionally, housing voucher payment rates frequently fall below market rents, making participation in these programs less attractive particularly in competitive markets.
Landlord incentives have been utilized by municipalities and non-profits to create affordable housing opportunities utilizing existing housing stock. For instance, Home for All & Granite United Way’s Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP), offers one-time grants to cover repairs or renovations required to meet HUD’s HQS. In exchange, landlords align rents with voucher payment standards and agree to forgo practices such as application fees, credit checks, or screening out households with prior evictions or criminal records. The grants provided through AHIP help bring older or substandard units into compliance, removing barriers for landlords to participate in federally assisted housing programs. By scaling these efforts, we can ensure that NH has housing stock to meet the diverse needs of its residents.
To address the repair needs of our aging housing stock that can exacerbate affordability challenges that disproportionately affect low-income renter households, we advise incentivizing New Hampshire landlords to make essential repairs and upgrades to meet HUD’s Housing Quality Standards (HQS) by offering grants in exchange for affordability covenants, participation in assisted housing programs, or more flexible tenant selection criteria.
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To address New Hampshire’s ongoing affordable housing crisis, it is essential to safeguard existing deeply affordable housing units that are at risk of conversion to market rates due to expiring deed restrictions. Without proactive preservation efforts, these units could be lost, further reducing the already limited supply of affordable housing available to low-income residents.
We recommend establishing a dedicated preservation fund to support the acquisition, renovation, and long-term affordability of properties facing expiring deed restrictions, prioritizing projects that serve households earning below 60% of the area median income or projects located in high-need areas.
Alternatively, the state could create a framework for municipalities to opt into to offering tax incentives to motivate property owners to keep these units affordable. For example, assessing below-market-rate buildings at their actual below-market values could reduce the tax burden for property owners who extend affordability covenants, helping to preserve affordable housing stock. This approach could be further complemented by tax credits for property owners who commit to affordability terms, creating a dual benefit of reduced tax obligations and preserved affordable units.
Investing in the preservation of existing affordable housing will enable New Hampshire to protect its limited affordable housing stock, stabilize communities, and prevent the displacement of low-income households, ensuring that deeply affordable units remain accessible for future generations.
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Increase allocations to the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) to provide essential resources for developers focused on creating deeply affordable housing options. The Affordable Housing Fund, established by the Legislature in 1988 (RSA 204-C:56 – 62), is administered by New Hampshire Housing to support the purchase, rehabilitation, or construction of affordable housing, primarily for low- and moderate-income households. Since its creation, the AHF has allocated $93 million to 119 projects, leveraging over $500 million to develop or preserve more than 3,600 housing units statewide for low- to moderate-income households.
In FY20, the AHF began receiving a $5 million annual allocation from Real Estate Transfer Tax revenues (RSA 78-13:13). As a revolving loan fund, it is replenished through program income, including loan repayments, tax-exempt bond fees, and legislative appropriations. The fund provides loans and grants to support the development of housing for families, seniors, individuals with supportive housing needs, and manufactured housing cooperatives.
Key aspects of the Affordable Housing Fund include:
Flexible Financing Options: The AHF typically offers zero or below-market-rate loans to cover financing gaps or support projects that cannot bear traditional debt. These funds complement other resources in a project's funding package, such as federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.
Targeted Income Levels: Many AHF-supported developments serve households with incomes at or below 60% of the area median, also known as “workforce housing” (as defined by RSA 674). For example, 60% median income for a household of three is approximately $62,856 in the Portsmouth/Rochester area.
Reduced Regulatory Constraints: AHF provides developers with more flexible funding options, which often have fewer regulatory restrictions, enabling the fund to meet local housing needs while aligning with important public goals.
By increasing investment in the AHF, New Hampshire can better support the development of deeply affordable housing, ensuring a stable and accessible housing market for its residents.
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New Hampshire homes are among the oldest in the country leading to hundreds of New Hampshire children poisoned by lead each year by lead found in paint, dust, and soil. Ensuring that all New Hampshire residents have access to safe and healthy housing must be a priority.
Estimates suggest that more than 32,000 young children in New Hampshire live in older homes that may have lead paint, so it is critical that we continue working to prevent lead exposure.
Lead abatement and remediation efforts are severely underfunded, covering only a small fraction of the costs, with many property owners unable to afford the necessary repairs. Moreover, existing programs are highly competitive and tend to prioritize efforts in units only after a child has been poisoned, leaving many hazardous units untreated.
To ensure housing safety and maintain affordability, we advise an increase in state-level allocations for lead remediation and abatement programs like DHHS Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and New Hampshire Housing’s Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Program (NHHLHCHHP).
Zoning & Regulatory Barriers
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The need for increased shelter capacity in New Hampshire is more urgent than ever, as homelessness continues to rise across the state. Unfortunately, there is no current statewide definition of "emergency shelter “within land use or zoning ordinances. This gap creates barriers to shelter development, as any proposed facility must seek a variance to request an exception to existing land use rules. The variance process involves a lengthy planning phase and public hearings, which can delay or even prevent vital shelter projects from moving forward. This is particularly problematic for communities or regions that lack emergency shelter options, despite their critical need.
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Addressing New Hampshire’s complex regulatory landscape is critical to accelerating affordable housing development. Lengthy approval processes drive up costs and delay project completion, making it difficult to deliver affordable units on time and within budget. Policies that prioritize expedited approvals—particularly for deeply affordable units—are essential, but this must come with additional funding for municipal and state staff to handle the increased workload without compromising safety.
Currently, many municipal and state staff and permitting boards are already overburdened and asking them to work faster with limited resources risks creating a rushed process that may overlook critical safety considerations. Enforcing existing timelines, such as requiring planning boards to decide within 65 days of receiving a complete application, would help address delays in towns that are slow to approve projects. Expanding staff for state agencies, such as DES, DOT, and Fish and Game, is also crucial to expedite permitting at all levels.
We strongly recommend allocating additional resources for staffing and enforcing clear timelines to streamline approvals—especially for projects creating deeply affordable units. These actions will enable New Hampshire to accelerate affordable housing development, meet critical deadlines, and make a substantial impact on housing accessibility and affordability across the state.
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Incentivizing municipalities to adopt flexible zoning policies is essential for creating deeply affordable housing, particularly for households earning below 60% of the area median income. The Housing Champion Program at the Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) serves as a powerful state-level tool for providing funding and incentives to municipalities that adopt housing-friendly policies. Currently, the program operates with a limited $5 million budget, restricting its ability to drive widespread change.
Additional appropriations in the next state budget would enhance the program’s capacity to provide grant funding to municipalities committed to zoning flexibility. By supporting policies that allow a variety of housing types—including multi-family units, supportive housing, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—we can foster more diverse and sustainable housing opportunities across our communities.
We ask for increased funding in the next state budget to strengthen the Housing Champion Program, empowering municipalities to advance flexible zoning and address deeply affordable housing needs statewide.
Enhance Eviction Prevention & Diversion Strategies
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As housing costs rise, more households are at risk of eviction, which can lead to homelessness. Implementing effective prevention strategies is crucial to addressing this issue.
Rent Increases: Extend the required notice for rent increases to 90 days, giving families sufficient time to either secure alternative housing or make an informed decision about whether to continue the lease under new terms. This is particularly important for households participating in federally assisted rental programs and low-income families who have fewer housing opportunities that are within their affordability requirements.
Lease Renewals: Mandate advance notice for non-renewal of leases, including month-to-month and term leases. A 90-day notice should be standard for Housing Choice Voucher tenants to ensure adequate time to secure new housing and comply with program requirements.
Evictions: Extend cure periods for lease violations and eviction notice periods. Some states, like Virginia, require landlords to provide tenants with advance notice of amounts owed, giving them an opportunity to resolve issues and potentially avoid eviction.
We advise supporting policies that implement longer notice periods to reduce returns to homelessness and promote long terms housing stability.
Storytelling forAdvocacy
Facts and data are essential—but stories move hearts, shift public opinion, and build the political will needed to advance housing solutions. Strategic storytelling turns lived experience into influence—helping local leaders, neighbors, and decision-makers understand the human impact behind the numbers.
We believe everyone deserves a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home and that lasting change begins in our own communities.
Click below to learn six practical tips for using storytelling to drive housing advocacy.
Be a Catalyst for Change
At Home for All, we believe housing is the foundation for thriving communities—and we’re committed to ensuring everyone in the Greater Seacoast region has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.
We advocate for smart housing policies, mobilize community voices, and collaborate with local governments, statewide partners, and national coalitions to drive solutions across the housing continuum. From speaking up at City Council meetings to shaping budgets and aligning regional investments, we work to ensure that housing needs are prioritized—and met.
Your donation fuels this work. It helps us educate, organize, and push for the systems-level changes needed to end homelessness and expand housing access for all. Join us in building a more equitable Seacoast.
