The median home price in Hillsborough County, NH hit an all time high of $572,000 in June, 2024, up 13% from June, 2023. If we do not allow more homes to be built, this upward trend will continue.

Renters in Manchester have experienced increases greater than the national average since the pandemic, with rents rising 45% in New Hampshire.

In most of Manchester, the only home that can be legally built is a single-detached house – the most naturally expensive option. While neighbors struggle to find a home they can afford, our restrictive zoning code means we can’t build enough homes that meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s residents.

Under the zoning status quo, we are becoming a city where people we depend on - EMTs, child care workers, and home health aides - cannot afford to live here.

We can change this future. By re-legalizing more attainable housing options in all our neighborhoods, we’ll make sure workers with a range of incomes can find a home they can afford.

Too many young people cannot return to the New Hampshire communities they grew up in because they cannot afford a home here. Parents watch their children choose to build lives elsewhere because Manchester does not have homes affordable to young people starting their careers and families.

Manchester can be a place for young people to return to, and for young families by re-legalizing starter homes they can afford.

Every neighborhood in Manchester should allow more homes of different shapes and sizes. No neighborhood should be walled off from new housing. Every neighborhood in Manchester should be open to hardworking residents and families, with a range of home types and sizes.