HOUSING
Lakes Region Housing Needs Assessment
Housing plays a vital role in shaping the long-term stability, sustainability, and economic growth of our region. In New Hampshire, and across the nation, the shortage of available housing has placed increasing pressure on working families and created challenges for businesses trying to attract and keep employees.
To address these issues, the Lakes Region Planning Commission has taken a proactive approach through its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). This effort involved analyzing data, conducting detailed studies, and gathering input from stakeholders to identify and prioritize the most pressing housing concerns in the Lakes Region. The assessment examines housing needs at all income levels and offers a comprehensive look at current and future challenges.
The final report serves as a 
foundation for local action, providing tools, recommendations, and strategies to help communities respond effectively to housing needs. The 2023 Lakes Region Housing Needs Assessment was adopted by the Commission on October 23, 2023.
As part of this project, the New Hampshire Housing Toolbox was created to gather and explain the various tools available to New Hampshire cities and towns for expanding their housing options, especially housing that reflects local needs. This toolbox helps government officials and community housing advocates identify which tools may be suitable for their community, quickly understand how each one works, and find reliable sources for more detailed guidance and real-world examples. Click the links to: 1) learn more about the NH Housing Toolbox/about and 2) download the NH Housing Toolbox.
The RHNA is a state-mandated responsibility for all nine regional planning commissions in New Hampshire, as outlined in RSA 36:47 II. Its purpose is to evaluate “the regional need for housing for persons and families of all levels of income” on a five-year cycle. As LRPC compiles housing-related data for our region’s assessment, we will coordinate closely with the other New Hampshire regional planning commissions and the State Office of Planning and Development. Through this collaboration, we will share resources and develop a unified approach to identifying housing needs across the state.
Our work will include gathering and analyzing datasets on housing and socio-economic demographics from the US Census and other sources. We will also collect information from the public along with local and regional experts, such as:
- planning boards
- developers
- social service agencies
- property managers and more
Outreach strategies will include surveys, on-one-one interviews, focus groups, and conversations on the topic of housing in the Lakes Region. The RHNA will weave quantitative and qualitative information together to tell the story of housing in our region. The final report will contain:
- data
- analyses
- strategies
- recommendations
- tools and
- resources
for local decision-makers to address housing issues around the Lakes Region.
Project details
Funded by: American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Grant
Project period: September 2021 — December 2022; extended to April 2023
Partnering with: NH Housing, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission, Southwest Regional Planning Commission, Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, Rockingham Planning Commissions, North Country Council, NH Office of Planning and Development, Nashua Regional Planning Commission, and Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission.
Resources
Quick links to federal funding sources:
- USDA’s Single Family Housing Programs. Offers loans, loan guarantees, and grants to support the purchase, construction, and upkeep of affordable homes in rural America.
- USDA’s Multifamily Housing Programs. Offers similar loans, loan guarantees, and grants targeting multifamily developments.
- USDA’s Community Facilities Programs. Provides information on funding to support public services and facilities in rural communities and available appraisal and architectural services respectively.
- HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Offers funds supporting infrastructure and economic development – including housing rehabilitation and homeowner assistance – primarily targeted at low- and moderate-income persons.
- HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program. Offers funds to nonprofit, State, and local governments working to rehouse and support homeless individuals and families.
- HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program. Offers funds via formula grants, supporting the construction, buying, and rehabilitation of affordable housing.
- HUD’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF). Offers annual grants to states and state-designated entities to produce and preserve affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households, 80% of which must be used for rental housing.
- HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Offers funding to stabilize communities experiencing high rates of home abandonment and foreclosure, helping households up to 120% of area median income (AMI).
- HUD’s Recovery Housing Program (RHP). Offers grants to states to provide transitional housing to individuals recovering from substance use disorder – with eligible activities also including rehabilitation and relocation.
- The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). This is an important mechanism to understand in supporting the construction of affordable housing, with Freddie Mac’s analysis suggesting it is key to meeting rental housing needs of rural persistent poverty counties.