HB1496

Dear Members of the Committee, I write in strong opposition to HB 1496, which repeals the cap on residential parking spaces and undermines one of the most effective, evidence-based tools municipalities have to promote housing affordability, smart growth, and efficient land use. Parking is not free. Every additional required parking space increases construction costs, consumes valuable land, and directly drives up rents and home prices. By repealing the cap on residential parking spaces, HB 1496 would encourage over-parking, inflate development costs, and make it harder—not easier—to produce housing that working families, seniors, and young people can afford. This bill moves New Hampshire backward. Across the country, states and municipalities are reducing or capping parking requirements because excessive parking mandates suppress housing production and lock in car-dependent development patterns that are costly for residents and communities alike. HB 1496 ignores this reality and reinstates a one-size-fits-all approach that does not reflect local conditions, transit access, walkability, or market demand. Equally concerning, HB 1496 strips municipalities of local control over land-use decisions that are best made at the local level. Cities and towns understand their neighborhoods, infrastructure capacity, and housing goals far better than the state. The existing cap provides reasonable guardrails while still allowing flexibility. Repealing it removes an important planning tool and substitutes state interference for local judgment. The consequences are predictable: fewer housing units, higher rents, more sprawl, increased impervious surface, and higher municipal infrastructure and maintenance costs. At a time when New Hampshire is struggling with a severe housing shortage, we should be eliminating barriers to housing production—not reinstating them under the guise of choice or convenience. If the goal is to support housing, workforce retention, and fiscal responsibility, HB 1496 fails on all counts. For these reasons, I respectfully urge the committee to vote Inexpedient to Legislate on HB 1496. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, David Preece State Representative, Hillsborough District 17 New Hampshire House of Representatives