Council approves up to $20,000 to coordinate multi-town response to state LMI housing rules

The Portsmouth Town Council voted 5-2 to authorize up to $20,000 from contingency to begin a coordinated, multi-municipality effort to push back against recent state actions affecting low- and moderate-income (LMI) housing and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules.

Councilor Gleason, who introduced the motion, said the effort builds on outreach to neighboring towns and emphasized concerns that state regulations have diminished local control over zoning decisions. He said the town is seeking partners and a minimum commitment from six other communities to collectively underwrite the broader effort; the motion stipulated that the town's participation would be reassessed if fewer partners contribute to a minimum pooled budget.

Supporters argued the state's changes shift costs and density onto municipalities without adequate consultation, noting potential infrastructure and fiscal impacts of higher-density developments. Sal Carcella told the council that state incentives "are creating a permanent structural deficit" for local taxpayers by shifting long-term service costs to towns.

Opponents questioned the timing and cost amid ongoing budget work and urged caution about committing contingency funds; some councilors said they wanted clearer projections of legal strategy and likely outcomes before spending municipal dollars on litigation or advocacy.

The motion passed 5-2 with Councilors Perreault and Blank dissenting; the clerk recorded the vote and the council directed that funds be taken from contingency.