Bill > HB1357

This bill aims to address New Hampshire's housing shortage by permitting newly constructed manufactured homes as a right in all residential zones statewide. The legislation clearly distinguishes between manufactured homes (high-quality, modern structures built to strict federal safety standards) and older mobile homes or trailers, emphasizing that these new homes are durable, attractive, and comparable to site-built housing. The bill requires municipalities to treat new manufactured homes as a permitted use in residential zones, allowing them on individual lots subject to the same lot size, frontage, and space limitations as conventional single-family homes. Key provisions include preventing municipalities from discriminating against or unreasonably restricting these homes, defining precise technical standards for what qualifies as a "new manufactured home" (such as being built after 1976 and meeting federal construction standards), and giving local governments one year to update their zoning ordinances to comply with the law. The bill's broader context is supporting affordable homeownership, particularly for essential workers, young first-time homebuyers, and elderly residents looking to downsize, by providing a free market-based approach to increasing housing options in New Hampshire.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=2277&inflect=2