The new State Budget Trailer Bill (HB2) is a dumpster fire, trashcan bill, for pet projects, appropriations, and legislation that failed to pass on the floor. Everyone does it, and it is a good place to get good stuff passed that just missed or to hide your dirty legislative laundry. Things you want that most Granite Staters won’t see until it’s too late.
Thankfully, we don’t ‘hang’ with just any Granite Staters.
Committee amendment 2025-1488h to HB2, which would not pass without the majority of Republican support, advances the destructive UN Agenda 2030 goals.
330 New Section; Partners in Housing Program. Amend RSA 12-O by inserting after section 72
the following new section:12-O:72-a Partners in Housing Program. The department shall establish a program, known as the partners in housing program, for the purpose of building workforce housing. Properties identified on the list created pursuant to RSA 674:1, VII shall be given priority for program funding. Available funding may be made by the department to housing developers to whom a municipality or county, pursuant to RSA 28:8-c, transfers ownership of the municipally or county-owned property for the purpose of residential development where at least 20 percent of the housing units to be developed will be affordable for a period of at least 20 years. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A to implement the provisions of this section no later than December 1, 2026.
This is House Bill HB572, which was retained in committee, and then snuck into HB2 by the Finance Committee.
As a reminder, these are all Republican majority committees.
This is section 72 in the existing state statute. (Chapter 12-O, by the way, establishes the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.)
12-O:72 Housing Planning and Regulation Municipal Grant Program. – The department shall establish a grant program for municipalities to assist them in promoting increased housing production. Subject to availability of funding, the department shall make grants to any municipality for the purpose of consultation or implementation of revising their master plans and land use regulations for the purpose of promoting the production of workforce housing, as that term is defined in RSA 674:58, and other types of housing necessary for the economic development of the state, and to assist them to become eligible for New Hampshire housing champion designation pursuant to RSA 12-O:71. The department shall adopt rules establishing grant eligibility criteria, grant maximums, and grant program administration.
Source. 2023, 79:462, eff. July 1, 2023.
The HB2 amendment also funds the grant program in perpetuity.
12-O:74 New Hampshire Housing Champion Designation and Grant Program Fund. There is hereby established in the state treasury the New Hampshire housing champion designation and grant program fund, for the purpose of funding the grant programs established in RSA 12-O:72 and[,] RSA 12-O:73, and the compilation of municipally and county-owned property determined to be appropriate for residential development pursuant to RSA 12-O:72-a and 674:1, VII. The fund shall be non-lapsing and shall be continually appropriated to the department.
If this sounds sketchy, and it should, contact your NH House reps to let them know it is in HB2. Most will not know, but they need to know they are voting for this, and you’d prefer they not.
If I’m reading any of this wrong or not fully understanding how wrong it is, this article will be updated.
Please read up on RSA 12-O:71 while you’re at it.
