Regional Housing Needs Assessment

North Country Council

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Regional Housing Needs Assessment

Overview:

Understanding the housing the condition, supply, and affordability of homes within a region is essential to the continued vibrancy and health of individual communities, the region, and the state of NH as a whole.

The Regional Housing Needs Assessment is a study of who lives in the region and what housing exists (or is needed) for them today and in the future. It includes projections of the homes we will need in the future based on the income of residents. This plan is updated every 5 years as funding is available.

View the Results:

What is the RHNA?

The purpose of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment and Fair Housing Equity Assessment is to provide current, regional, and local data on housing needs and to fulfill RSA 36:47(II) statutory requirements, requirements of the American Rescue Plan funding, and the recommendation of the Council on Housing Stability 2021-2024 Strategic Plan.

This assessment is a highly anticipated review of the current housing trends and needs and will identify future housing needs and opportunities. One goal of the assessment is to provide a foundation of housing trends for communities to begin addressing housing barriers and opportunities. This assessment will be utilized to frame the conversation around solutions on a community-by-community basis and to determine compliance with the Workforce Housing Statute (RSA 674:58-61).

What does fair housing equity assessment mean?

The Fair Housing Equity Assessment (FHEA) portion of the assessment is a tool utilized by HUD to identify disparities of burdens and benefits experienced by different population groups, particularly communities of interest identified in the framework. The FHEA elements included in this assessment fulfill the requirements of American Rescue Plan state of New Hampshire funding.

NHRSA 36:47(II) requires that “For the purpose of assisting municipalities in complying with RSA 674:2, III(l), each regional planning commission shall compile a regional housing needs assessment, which shall include an assessment of the regional need for housing for persons and families of all levels of income.” RSA 36:47(II) states that the regional housing needs assessment shall be updated every 5 years and made available to all municipalities in the planning region.