Housing Champion Program

Housing Champion Designation and Related Programs

The New Hampshire legislature created and provided $5 million in funding for the Housing Champion Designation and Grant Program (NH RSA 12-O:71-76), with the purpose of enabling municipalities to voluntarily engage in the Housing Champion Designation process and subsequently benefit from other funding assistance or opportunities made exclusively available to communities designated as Housing Champions. The Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) is administering the designation process and related programming.  

The Housing Champion Designation is statutorily defined and requires BEA to engage in the formal rulemaking process before opening the program. The same is true for related grant programs for municipalities and eventual Housing Champion designees: the Housing Planning and Regulation Municipal Grant Program (NH RSA 12-O:72); the Housing Production Municipal Grant Program (NH RSA 12-O:73(I)); and the Housing Infrastructure Municipal Grant and Loan Program (NH RSA 12-O:73(II)).  

Municipalities interested in earning Housing Champion Designation may apply until November 15, 2024.  By earning this designation, communities become eligible for two additional sources of funds: infrastructure funding and per-unit production grants.

Housing Champion Application Information Session - October 16, 2024

• Slides
• Recording

To qualify for the designation, communities must provide documentation which demonstrates that zoning and land use regulations promote workforce housing; trains members of land use boards on appropriate procedures and laws that apply to board members; implement sewer and water infrastructure improvements; and implement public transportation and walkability infrastructure like sidewalks.

• Housing Champion Designation Application
• Housing Champion Designation Program Guidance
• Housing Champion Designation Scoring Matrix

The Housing Champion Rules Bea 500 have been adopted effective 8/8/2024 attached. The department anticipates rolling out the program in early fall of 2024.

Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes

• May 10, 2024, 1:30 Public Hearing - NH Housing Champions Designation and Grant Program Rules
  • (Click to see Notice)
• March 4, 2024, meeting; hosted at BEA (100 N. Main St., Concord, NH 03301) from 4:00-5:30 PM. 
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Meeting Presentation
• January 26, 2024, meeting; hosted at BEA (100 N. Main St., Concord, NH 03301) from 4:00-5:30 PM. 
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Meeting Presentation

For more information, email housingchampions@livefree.nh.gov.