HB1009

"HB 1009 reflects evidence-based housing reform aimed at reducing development costs and expanding housing supply. From a trauma-informed and intersectional perspective, the bill has strong potential to reduce housing instability and cost-related stress, particularly for low-income renters and workforce households. However, without explicit accessibility safeguards, local flexibility, and complementary transportation supports, the bill risks creating unintended access barriers for disabled residents, caregivers, and rural households. With targeted amendments, HB 1009 could strike a more equitable balance between affordability, access, and community needs. " At its core, this bill limits how much parking towns are allowed to require when new apartments are built, especially smaller apartments and larger apartment buildings.

Reducing onsite parking does not create walkable neighborhoods, it makes them worse when residents are forced to park on sidewalks. In my neighborhood, most housing units have 2 or more vehicles.

Dear Chair and Members of the Committee, I write in strong support of HB 1009, a smart, targeted reform that removes one of the most common and least discussed barriers to housing affordability in New Hampshire: excessive parking mandates. For decades, zoning codes across the state have required far more parking than modern housing actually needs — particularly for studio, one-bedroom, and workforce housing units. Every extra parking space adds tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of construction, consumes valuable land, increases stormwater runoff, and reduces the number of homes that can be built. Those costs are then passed directly to renters and first-time homebuyers. HB 1009 addresses this problem in a careful and limited way. It does not eliminate parking. It simply sets a reasonable upper limit of 1.5 spaces per unit for small workforce units and for larger multi-family developments. This reflects how people actually live today — especially young workers, seniors, and single adults who are more likely to own one car or none at all. This bill is especially important for workforce housing, which is already under pressure from land costs, infrastructure requirements, and financing constraints. When towns require two or even three parking spaces for a one-bedroom apartment, they are effectively taxing housing and pushing it out of reach for the very people our economy depends on. HB 1009 also improves public safety and environmental outcomes. Fewer oversized parking lots mean better stormwater management, less heat-island effect, and more compact, walkable development patterns — all without sacrificing neighborhood character or emergency access. Just as importantly, this bill still respects local control. Municipalities retain the authority to regulate parking; HB 1009 simply prevents the use of excessive minimums that make small apartments and workforce housing financially impossible to build. If New Hampshire is serious about addressing housing shortages, keeping young people here, and supporting our workforce, we must remove outdated rules that drive up costs without providing real benefits. HB 1009 does exactly that. I respectfully urge the Committee to recommend Ought to Pass. Sincerely, David John Preece State Representative, Hillsborough District 17