New Hampshire Housing told the House Committee on Housing that it is an independent, self‑supporting corporation—not a state agency—responsible for multifamily financing, administering vouchers in parts of the state without a local public housing authority, and supporting first‑time homebuyers through tax‑exempt bond programs.

“We are not a state agency,” Executive Director Rob Dappas said, describing New Hampshire Housing’s origin and three operational divisions: multifamily finance, homeownership products, and assisted housing (voucher administration). Dappas described the agency’s role in pairing below‑market capital (for example, tax‑exempt bonds and Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocations) with developer commitments to rent units to low‑ and moderate‑income households.

Dappas said New Hampshire Housing has supported preservation and creation of affordable units, works with developers on supportive housing for populations with behavioral‑health or substance use needs, and is administering opioid‑settlement funded recovery and supportive housing opportunities at the state’s request. Jack Brueggeman, the agency’s energy and legislative affairs advisor, described research products and municipal technical assistance the agency provides, including a state housing needs assessment, an annual residential rental cost survey and a municipal guide to RSA 79‑e (community revitalization tax relief).

On rental assistance, Dappas said New Hampshire Housing administers roughly a third of the state’s Housing Choice Vouchers and that the voucher waiting list has grown markedly. “We have a waiting list that's ballooned to 7,000,” he said, and he noted the program serves many seniors and people with disabilities with a median household income of roughly $19,260 among program participants.

On homeownership, Dappas summarized that New Hampshire Housing acts as a wholesale issuer of tax‑exempt bond financing to enable lower‑cost mortgage products offered through local lenders and that the agency uses bond proceeds to support down‑payment assistance programs.

Why it matters: New Hampshire Housing’s overview clarified the agency’s tools and limitations—particularly that federal programs fund vouchers and that the agency is a financing intermediary rather than a state department. Committee members asked few substantive questions during the orientation; staff materials the committee requested will be used in upcoming hearings and research assignments.

No committee votes occurred during the orientation session.