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Committee hears mixed views as bill would allow manufactured homes by right in residential zones
Summary
House Bill 685 would update the definition of manufactured housing and allow manufactured homes by right in residential zones. Supporters called manufactured homes a route to affordable homeownership; municipal groups and selectmen urged caution about sewer, density and local control.
House Bill 685 would revise the statutory definition of manufactured housing and permit manufactured homes by right in residential zones, Representative Joe Alexander told the Senate Commerce Committee.
Representative Joe Alexander said the bill would "update the definition" to recognize factory-built homes transported to sites and connected to utilities, and would "permit manufactured housing [to] be built in any residential zone by right." He and other supporters framed the measure as an affordability tool. Abby Bronson of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund told the committee that treating manufactured housing "the same as we treat stick built single family homes" would provide more pathways to homeownership for first-time buyers and older adults.
Supporters described modern manufactured homes as built to the HUD code (established 1977), durable and increasingly attractive, and they provided price examples. Joni McIntyre, past president of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, said manufactured homes comprised about 10% of real estate sales in 2024 and cited a median manufactured-home price of roughly $162,000 versus a statewide single-family median around $514,000.
Opponents—including multiple witnesses from the Town of Raymond and the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA)—urged caution. Dawn Merryman and Patricia Bridges of Raymond said local planning boards best understand where septic, water, and flood-prone areas can accommodate greater density; Merryman said she had reviewed market listings and found many modern manufactured units priced well above advocates' lowest examples. NHMA's Margaret Burns and Bernie Deshaies asked for statutory clarifications: NHMA argued HB 685 as drafted could conflict with last year's amendments to RSA 674:32 (the manufactured-housing statute), could be broader than intended, and could leave municipalities unsure whether the bill was meant to treat lots individually or to permit park-style development.
NHMA asked the committee to clarify whether the bill's intent is simply to allow manufactured homes wherever stick-built homes are permitted; it also warned that vague language such as a prohibition on "unreasonable restrictions" could spur litigation over what counts as unreasonable.
Ending: The committee closed the hearing without voting. Supporters emphasized housing affordability and the HUD construction code; municipal witnesses asked for clearer drafting so the bill does not conflict with RSA 674:32 or impose vague standards that could invite legal challenges.
