David Preece

Dear Chair and Members of the Committee, I write in strong support of HB 1016, which repeals the statewide mandate that municipalities must allow manufactured housing development opportunities. This bill is not about opposing manufactured housing. It is about restoring local land-use authority and ensuring that housing decisions are made through transparent, democratic, community-based planning rather than imposed by statute. New Hampshire’s cities and towns vary enormously in their infrastructure, water and sewer capacity, road systems, fire protection, soil conditions, and environmental constraints. A one-size-fits-all mandate that every municipality must zone for a specific housing type—regardless of local conditions—undermines both good planning and public trust. HB 1016 simply returns the decision about where and how manufactured housing is allowed to the same place as every other form of housing: local zoning, adopted by voters and administered by local boards under RSA 674. Towns will still be free to permit, encourage, or expand manufactured housing if they choose. What this bill removes is the idea that Concord should override local plans and force a particular land-use outcome without regard to local capacity or community design. That distinction matters. When housing is imposed by mandate instead of integrated through planning, the result is often backlash, litigation, and stalled development—none of which helps anyone find a home. True housing progress comes from locally supported zoning, infrastructure investment, and thoughtful siting that ensures safety, access, and long-term stability for residents. HB 1016 protects that process. It keeps housing decisions consistent with how New Hampshire has always governed land use: through local choice, public hearings, and democratic accountability. This bill does not prohibit manufactured housing. It simply ensures that, like every other housing type, it is located where it makes sense, where infrastructure supports it, and where communities have agreed to it. I respectfully urge the Committee to recommend Ought to Pass on HB 1016. Sincerely, David John Preece State Representative, Hillsborough District 17