Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)
This week, Pappas also introduced bipartisan legislation to lower taxes and fees associated with new housing developments
On Monday, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) voted to pass bipartisan legislation to take on the high cost of housing for Granite Staters by cutting red tape so communities can more easily build the housing stock that meets their needs. The Housing for the 21st Century Act includes a provision introduced by Congressman Pappas, the bipartisan Accelerating Home Building Act, which would support local governments in expediting permitting and home-building processes and lowering costs for Granite Staters.
Also included in the legislation was the Pappas-backed VA Home Loan Awareness Act, which would help more veterans take advantage of the VA Home Loan program.
“New Hampshire continues to face some of the highest housing costs in the country, and it is critical that we use every tool available to increase supply, lower prices, and give middle-class families the relief that they need,” said Congressman Pappas. “We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to solve our housing crisis, and that is why legislation like this, to cut red tape and allow local communities to build more housing, is so critical. I’ll work with anyone to deliver for New Hampshire and ensure that homeownership can become a reality for more hardworking Granite Staters.”
New Hampshire is on track to be 90,000 units of housing short in the next decade, while the median home sale price in the state has risen to over half a million dollars. New Hampshire’s median rent has now reached $2,143 per month, the ninth highest in the country.
Pappas has worked to ensure Granite State communities have the resources they need to increase the affordable housing stock and tackle the housing crisis. In April, Pappas helped introduce the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to support affordable housing financing and development by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. In 2024, he and the New Hampshire delegation welcomed more than $30 million in federal grants to build more affordable housing across the Granite State.