Hansel: State housing proposals could help Keene
May 21—Keene Mayor George Hansel said Friday he supports legislation intended to give towns and cities more tools in developing affordable housing.
House Bill 1661 cleared a conference committee of the N.H. Legislature the day before.
"We're in the middle of a housing crisis like the rest of the state," Hansel said in an interview Friday. "We're desperate for solutions. I'm hopeful that these new opportunities and tools will help the situation."
The omnibus bill would, among many other things, allow municipalities to acquire property to construct workforce housing. It would also require municipal boards to support their land-use permit decisions with specific written findings of fact, and gives timelines for decisions to be reached.
It says that, after July 1, 2023, the same incentives municipalities offer for developing senior housing will apply to workforce housing, such as allowances for increased density, reduced lot size and expedited approval.
The bill will go to Gov. Chris Sununu for his signature if approved by the N.H. House and Senate next week.
Sununu says this legislation would work hand-in-hand with his plan to use $100 million in federal pandemic relief funding to spur residential construction. Businesses complain they have trouble expanding due to a lack of places for new workers to live.
The governor's program includes $40 million for towns and cities, up to $1 million per locality, to offer grants to address housing shortages. Another $5 million will help communities expand pro-housing planning and zoning regulations. An additional $5 million will help municipalities demolish vacant or dilapidated buildings.
Hansel said the demolition money would be useful in Keene.
"We can certainly use some of that money and I am hopeful to get some to help us take down some underperforming properties and create opportunities for developers to build new housing," the mayor said.
He said the city and Southwestern Community Services raised more than $1 million in a program that began in 2020 to renovate and weatherize older homes and improve neighborhoods. The effort was intended to improve struggling areas near downtown.
"We don't have a ton of developable land and what we do have are some older homes that need a little refresh and are walkable and in close proximity to downtown, but we just need a little boost in some of these neighborhoods that have incredible potential," Hansel said.
He also said that over the past year, there have been permit requests for 20 new single-family homes.
"That's more than we've had in a long time," he said. "I'm encouraged by that."
Meanwhile, he said construction is poised in Swanzey for about 200 new multi-family housing units.
Hansel said all cities and towns need to realize that some residential construction is needed.
"It doesn't have to be a ton of development that would change the character of your city or town, but everybody has to do something," he said. "You have to be much more proactive than many communities have been in the past."
Medard Kopczynski, the city's economic development director, said Keene leaders are considering amending the zoning laws to allow multi-family dwellings in the city's commercial district. Allowable density in residential areas is also being re-considered.
"The zoning code we have now was last significantly overhauled in 1978," he said. "It is clearly intentional on the city's part to do what we can that is rational to make it possible to increase the amount of housing units we have in the city.
"Hopefully, as we do that, some of those projects that get off the ground could be eligible for some of the funding if need be from what the governor has planned."
Rick Green can be reached at rgreen@keenesentinel.com or 603-355-8567.
