Why it matters
Portsmouth’s rules make it illegal to build the housing we already have.
The response · Council voted 9–0 · Feb 2026
So the city is writing a Housing Action Plan.
Drafted from 148 tracked ideas — now distilled into the staff draft below. We track every item.
Where the plan stands · updated Jul 13, 2026
The staff draft is here.
Delivered to the Housing Committee July 9 by Planning & Sustainability — the plan the Council ordered in February. Two things to read below.
Mandated · done
Council orders a plan · Feb 2026, 9–0
Drafted · now
Staff draft delivered · Jul 9, 2026
Adoption · ahead
Hearings, then Council · dates TBA
The document
Housing Action Plan — staff draft
City of Portsmouth · Planning & Sustainability · Jul 9
The city’s proposed plan: zoning reforms, expanded 79-E tax relief, financial tools, and an implementation matrix — who does what, and when.
Read the draft (PDF) →
The response
What the plan still needs
Progress Portsmouth · five requirements
Our read of the draft: what it gets right, and five things we believe must be resolved before the plan goes to Council.
Read the response →
At least two public input hearings come before adoption — the main chance for residents to shape the final plan. Dates haven’t been announced.
Track the calendar →The people doing the work — right now
These are the tools behind that table.
The Housing Committee delivered its draft plan to the Council on July 13. It sits with the Planning Board now. Everything below is the reference set behind that process.
City of Portsmouth meeting broadcast
Understand it · the housing toolkit
Next · Aug 20
The draft Housing Action Plan is with the Planning Board. Its August 20 meeting is currently the only scheduled chance for the public to be heard on it.
See the calendar →
◆ Built on the framework behind the City's draft Housing Action Plan — written so any resident can follow along
Learning Library
Start here — housing policy, module by module
no jargon
Action Plan Explorer
Every action item in the plan, status-tracked
interactive
Housing Snapshot
What rents cost, upcoming meetings & media coverage
current rents & meetings
Zoning Guide
362 pages of zoning law, in plain English
plain language
Housing Pipeline
Active & proposed projects, from concept to occupancy
data
Housing & Your Business
Workforce impact, plus an employee survey you can deploy
for employers
Federal ROAD to Housing Act
What the new federal housing law could mean for Portsmouth
explainer
Act · what’s possible today
Opportunities worth exploring
Homeowners
Room on your lot? Add an ADU.
Permitted by right in all single-family zones — no variance needed. We condensed 40 pages of city rules into one guide.
Read the guide →
Developers
Explore co-living projects.
Allowed downtown and in several neighborhood districts — an innovative model for residents who want less space and more community.
Read the primer →
Stay in the loop
Housing news that actually matters
Portsmouth’s housing decisions move fast. Our newsletter goes out when something happens — not on a schedule. No filler, no fluff.
Go deeper · research & data
Local
Action Plan Explorer
Progress Portsmouth · every action item, status-tracked
Housing Snapshot
Progress Portsmouth · current rents, meetings & coverage
Portsmouth Zoning Guide — Plain Language
Progress Portsmouth · links to full adopted ordinance
2025 Master Plan Update
City of Portsmouth · the rewrite that will drive zoning
New Hampshire
Housing in commercial zones — the 2026 laws
Ch. 319 & Ch. 329 · in force July 1; by right from Sept 13, 2026
Housing Action NH — Bill Tracker
Live tracking of every housing bill in Concord
2026 Session: What Survived
~100 housing bills; most repeal attempts failed (May 2026)
Housing & Schools: Debunking the Myths
NH Charitable Foundation, Feb 2026
NH Residential Rental Cost Survey
NH Housing · annual statewide rent data
Our partners
