Hi All:

This message is asking you to reach out (email, phone, etc.) to your local representative to request support for HB1291 as soon as you can: the entire NH House will be voting on HB1291 on Thursday, March 28th. There is conjecture that there may be a proposal to table this bill, effectively killing it.

Background

HB1291 -- relative to accessory dwelling unit uses allowed by right -- proposes several changes related to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs, sometimes referred to as "in-law apartments") including the following:

• Adding "by right" language. When something is "by right", the approvals process is streamlined so that projects that comply with the zoning standards receive their approval without a discretionary review process.
• Allowing up to 2 ADUs, one with a minimum square footage cap of 1000 sq.ft., and the other with a cap of 850 sq.ft. Currently, municipalities can cap the size of an ADU at 750 sq.ft.

Housing Action NH has compiled several talking points for HB1291. I will add that ADUs are currently a difficult option for families to consider as housing choices for their family members:

• Overcoming the town's paperwork can be burdensome. Adding "by right" language will help address the painful process of getting an exception from the local Zoning Board.
• The cap of 750 sq. ft. does not allow for an ADU that can house both a family member and a care provider with adequate personal space and privacy. In addition, some individuals have medical equipment that requires additional space. Increasing the caps will enable ADUs more appropriate for people with disabilities.

By the way, if you are interested in the variety of housing choices for people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities, we now have a document available on the Gateways Community Services site: Housing for Adults with ID/DD in New Hampshire.

Action to Take

This Thursday, the entire House will be voting on HB1291. Before Thursday, please reach out to your local representative to request support for HB1291 (click on the link to find your representatives). The more representatives we make aware of our needs, the more likely the floor vote will succeed. As example email might look like the following:

To: {Your local representatives}

CC: Joe.Alexander@leg.state.nh.us

Subject: Please support HB1291 - relative to accessory dwelling units allowed by right

Dear Representative {representative name}:

Please support HB1291 -- relative to accessory dwelling units allowed by right -- in the House floor vote this Thursday, March 28th. As my spouse and I pursue housing choices for our {son, daughter, family member} who has a developmental disability, we are strongly considering an accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

We believe an ADU would be the optimal setting for our {son, daughter, family member}, and an would also enable us to provide immediate continuity of care should our {son, daughter, family member}'s care provider suddenly become unavailable.

The current constraints around ADUs, however, are making this choice a challenge: our town's local zoning requires burdensome paperwork, and the size restrictions do not permit adequate privacy and personal space for both our {son, daughter, family member} and a care provider.

HB1291 would address the majority of our challenges with an ADU, helping us provide an optimal housing solution for our {son, daughter, family member}.

Please support HB1291 in this Thursday's House floor vote.

Sincerely,

{Your name, your town}

Also, if you have specific examples where you have pursued the ADU route and failed, and see that HB1291 would have helped, please also send a detailed note to Representative Joe Alexander (Joe.Alexander@leg.state.nh.us). Representative Alexander is the chair of the House Special Committee on Housing and will be advocating for HB1291 on the floor. He is welcoming detailed examples to make his arguments stronger.

Thank you for your advocacy,

Will