Housing Needs Assessment Project

PROJECT OVERVIEW

In 2023, the East Kingston Planning Board was awarded a $40,750 grant from InvestNH Municipal Planning and Zoning Grant Program's Housing Opportunity Program Grant (HOP Grant) to prepare, a Housing Needs Assessment and Land Use Audit.  The public engagement, analysis, and documentation are to answer the question, "what should the future of housing be in East Kingston?" The Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) was selected to assist the Planning Board with this effort. The primary tasks in the project include:

• Development of a Housing Needs Assessment - this document - to evaluate the latest data to assist East Kingston better understand how the public input, and subsequent community goals and vision from the current Master Plan align with East Kingston's existing housing data, projected needs, and those needs of the region.
• Development of a Land Use Audit - to evaluate possible land use regulation modifications to increase housing opportunities, including the pros and cons, level of effort required, identifying support (or lack thereof) for such changes in future Master Plan updates, and anticipate level of impact of the regulation change. The audit will provide East Kingston with the opportunity to review its existing land use regulations that focus on housing or impact housing.  It will also highlight components that may be creating barriers within existing ordinances and call out opportunities that may exist to provide increased housing in appropriate areas of town, as determined through the Housing Needs Assessment and community outreach.

As defined by state law:

• Affordable Housing - Housing, rental or owner-occupied, that costs no more than 30% of one's gross income. Rental costs is defined as rent+utilities. Ownership cost is monthly principal, interest, taxes and insurance.
• Workforce Housing - A variety of housing types that are affordable (no more than 30% of gross income spent on housing costs) suitable for households of working people with different needs and income levels. Due to their income, this population is generally not eligible for any federal assistance programs.

INFORMATION RESOURCES

• Rockingham Planning Commission Regional Housing Needs Assessment 
• Rockingham Planning Commission Regional and Town Fair Share Housing Projections

Project generated documents may be found in the attachments below.

PROJECT CONTACT INFORMATION

Please direct questions about the Housing Needs Assessment Project to Jennifer Rowden - RPC Planner    603-778-0885  /  jrowden@therpc.org 

This project is funded by a grant from the INVESTNH Housing Planning Grant Program. Learn more about this grant program and the ways it can help NH communities explore and expand housing opportunities.

The East Kingston Housing Needs Assessment project is being supported, in whole or in part by, federal award number SLFRP0145 awarded to the State of New Hampshire by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.