Learn More About the Project

The Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) is a state-mandated requirement for all nine regional planning commissions in NH per RSA 36:47.II. The purpose of the RHNA, which is required to be updated every five years, is to assess “the regional need for housing for persons and families of all levels of income.”  As SWRPC gathers housing related information for the RHNA for Southwest NH, we are working in coordination with the other NH regional planning commissions and the State Office of Planning and Development to leverage each other’s resources and advance a unified approach to determine housing needs across the State. Our work will include gathering and analyzing datasets on housing and socio-economic demographics, from the US Census and other sources. We also have plans to collect information from the general public and local and regional experts, such as planning boards, developers, social service agencies, property managers and more. Outreach strategies include surveys, on-one-one interviews, focus groups, and conversations on the topic of housing in our Region. The 2022 RHNA, will weave quantitative and qualitative data together to tell the story of housing in our Region. The final report will contain tools, strategies, and recommendations for local decision-makers to address the housing crisis our Region.