Amanda Sanchez

Honorable Chair and Members of the Committee, My name is Amanda Sanchez, and I live in Plainfield, New Hampshire, in a resident-owned manufactured home community. I’ve lived in New Hampshire for most of my life and have been a homeowner here for 16 years. I currently serve as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Plainfield Village Cooperative. I also serve as the President of the Mobile/Manufactured-Home Owners and Tenants Association of NH (MOTA-NH). I strongly SUPPORT HB1357! New Hampshire is facing a serious housing crisis. We need tens of thousands of new housing units by 2030 just to meet current demand. Yet local zoning laws continue to block one of the most affordable, efficient, and fastest ways to increase homeownership: newly constructed manufactured homes. Manufactured homes today are not the “trailers” people imagine. They are safe, energy-efficient, code-regulated homes built to modern HUD standards. Many look indistinguishable from site-built homes and can be an excellent option for working families, retirees, and young people who want to own a home in their own community. HB 1357 is about fairness, access, and common sense. If a home meets state building and safety standards, it should be allowed in residential zones, just like any other single-family home. Local bans and excessive zoning barriers artificially inflate housing costs and prevent communities from meeting real housing needs. This bill would: • Expand affordable homeownership opportunities • Increase housing supply without taxpayer subsidies • Help stabilize local workforces • Allow seniors and young families to age in place or buy their first home • Reduce displacement pressures in existing manufactured housing parks As someone who lives in a resident-owned community, I can tell you firsthand that manufactured housing is not a problem; it is part of the solution. Residents take pride in their homes and neighborhoods. These homes provide long-term stability, community ties, and economic security for thousands of New Hampshire families. Blocking new manufactured homes doesn’t preserve community character. It preserves exclusion and scarcity. If New Hampshire is serious about solving its housing crisis, we must remove outdated and discriminatory zoning barriers and allow all safe, modern forms of housing to be built. HB 1357 is a smart, necessary step forward. I urge you to support it. Thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully submitted, Amanda Sanchez Plainfield, New Hampshire