Housing & Transportation
The City of Portsmouth needs to continue looking at parking and transportation throughout the city and our region. Changing the mindset of car first is a process that we can continue to develop along with increasing the options of public transportation. We need to evaluate the parking needs of our neighborhoods and the different areas of our city so that zoning meets the needs of the different neighborhoods. What might work for a downtown neighborhood, is not what will work for a more rural neighborhood.
The City of Portsmouth needs to continue to assess the different ways that we can promote housing affordability. As a city councilor, I have worked towards a multifaceted approach to begin to alleviate the housing crisis that afflicts this community and the entire state.
First, I worked towards updating our Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance to remove barriers to the creation of these much-needed units, along with the creation of a handbook (in process) for homeowners to help residents understand how to create a ADU on their property. Second, I worked towards updating our downtown incentives to require workforce housing and community space when larger buildings are requested. Third, I have been working with private businesses, towards their involvement in the creation of housing for the workers in our area.
Lastly, I assisted the city in obtaining two grants through Invest NH, one for a $250,000 grant over two years to hire a Community Housing Navigator, whose job is to engage with the community to find ways to expand affordable housing, and the second grant was for $82,000 which is being used to hire consultants to work towards a market study to determine best practices to ensure that incentives are right sized and utilized by developers and result in greater production of workforce housing. This work needs to continue to remove barriers in our zoning and produce more diversity in our housing.
Next, we need to consider creating a Housing Trust and establishing zoning that would allow developers to make payments in lieu of building workforce housing. This would then allow the city to use those funds to establish programs for assisting residents in housing costs and development. Promoting smart, sustainable development will continue to move Portsmouth forward.
The City of Portsmouth needs to continue looking at parking and transportation throughout the city and our region. Changing the mindset of car first is a process that we can continue to develop along with increasing the options of public transportation. We need to evaluate the parking needs of our neighborhoods and the different areas of our city so that zoning meets the needs of the different neighborhoods. What might work for a downtown neighborhood, is not what will work for a more rural neighborhood.
The City of Portsmouth needs to continue to assess the different ways that we can promote housing affordability. As a city councilor, I have worked towards a multifaceted approach to begin to alleviate the housing crisis that afflicts this community and the entire state.
First, I worked towards updating our Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance to remove barriers to the creation of these much-needed units, along with the creation of a handbook (in process) for homeowners to help residents understand how to create a ADU on their property. Second, I worked towards updating our downtown incentives to require workforce housing and community space when larger buildings are requested. Third, I have been working with private businesses, towards their involvement in the creation of housing for the workers in our area.
Lastly, I assisted the city in obtaining two grants through Invest NH, one for a $250,000 grant over two years to hire a Community Housing Navigator, whose job is to engage with the community to find ways to expand affordable housing, and the second grant was for $82,000 which is being used to hire consultants to work towards a market study to determine best practices to ensure that incentives are right sized and utilized by developers and result in greater production of workforce housing. This work needs to continue to remove barriers in our zoning and produce more diversity in our housing.
Next, we need to consider creating a Housing Trust and establishing zoning that would allow developers to make payments in lieu of building workforce housing. This would then allow the city to use those funds to establish programs for assisting residents in housing costs and development. Promoting smart, sustainable development will continue to move Portsmouth forward.
