🏗️ Why Portsmouth Needs a Housing Action Plan

Because "hoping for the best" is not a strategy
Other cities have blueprints for solving their housing crisis. Portsmouth is winging it. Here's why that matters—and what we can do about it.

đź“Š The Crisis, By The Numbers

~0%
Rental Vacancy Rate
8 of 9
Household Types Can't Afford Market-Rate Housing*
$3,600
Median Rent for 3-Bedroom
0
Cities With A Tighter Market in NH

Everyone knows Portsmouth has a housing problem. The question is: Why aren't we fixing it?

*Based on PROGRESS PORTSMOUTH analysis of 9 household types (single adults, young professionals, service workers, roommates, couples, families, single parents, senior renters, senior homeowners) against Portsmouth median rents and 30% affordability threshold. Only dual-income couples without children consistently achieve market-rate housing security. View full Housing Storylines analysis →

🔀 Two Paths Forward (Click Each to Explore)

Portsmouth stands at a crossroads. Click each path to see what happens:

❌ WITHOUT an Action Plan
🔄
Same conversations, different year
đź“‹
Study after study, committee after committee
🎲
Random projects approved on case-by-case basis
What this looks like:
  • No clear housing goals or targets
  • Departments working in silos
  • Can't coordinate funding opportunities
  • Zoning changes happen randomly, if at all
  • No accountability—nobody owns the problem
  • 8 of 9 household types still can't afford market-rate housing
  • Families keep leaving; workers can't afford to move here
  • We discuss housing in every election, but nothing fundamentally changes
âś… WITH an Action Plan
🎯
Clear goals: How many units, what type, by when
đź“‹
Specific actions assigned to departments
⏱️
Timelines and accountability built in
What this looks like:
  • Specific targets: "Build 500 units in 5 years, 30% affordable"
  • Zoning, permitting, and funding all coordinated
  • Each department knows their role and deadlines
  • Can attract state/federal funding (they want to see plans)
  • Track progress with real numbers, adjust as needed
  • Can be updated faster than Master Plan as conditions change
  • Real progress measured in years, not decades

đź’ˇ Click each card to see the full picture of what each path means for Portsmouth

🏙️ How Portsmouth Stacks Up (Click Each City)

Cities like ours aren't "hoping for the best"—they're following plans. Where does Portsmouth stand?

Keene, NH
âś“ HAS A PLAN
What they have: Housing Strategy with task matrix and assigned responsibilities. Even this small NH city embraced planning.

→ View Keene's Housing Needs Analysis & Strategy
South Portland, ME
âś“ HAS A PLAN
What they have: Housing report with ranked policy recommendations. Similar coastal, constrained market—but they're acting strategically.

→ View South Portland's Housing Needs Assessment & Production Strategy
Burien, WA
âś“ HAS A PLAN
What they have: Full Housing Action Plan—the gold standard. Specific next steps, implementation timelines, department assignments. This is the model.

→ View Burien's Housing Action Plan (2021)
Portsmouth, NH
âś— NO PLAN
What we have: Studies. Committees. Good intentions. But no adopted operational document that says who does what, by when, with what resources. We're the outlier.
âť“ Quick Question: What's the main reason Portsmouth keeps talking about housing but not solving it?
âś… That's right!

Portsmouth's problem isn't awareness or caring—it's governance. Without a Housing Action Plan, well-meaning efforts stay scattered. Zoning reforms happen (or don't) randomly. Funding opportunities get missed. Nobody owns implementation.

A Housing Action Plan doesn't guarantee success, but it's the operating system that makes success possible. Everything else is just hoping.

🔧 What a Housing Action Plan Actually Does

Think of it as an operating manual for solving the housing crisis:

1. Sets Specific, Measurable Goals â–Ľ
Not vague wishes like "increase housing." Real targets like:
• "Create 500 new units by 2030, with 150 affordable to families earning $60K"
• "Preserve 100 naturally affordable units from market conversion"
• "Reduce permitting time from 18 months to 9 months"
2. Assigns Clear Responsibility â–Ľ
Each action has an owner:
• "Planning Dept. will draft zoning amendments by Q2 2026"
• "Finance Dept. will identify funding sources by June"
• "City Manager will appoint Housing Navigator by March"
No more "somebody should do something."
3. Coordinates Multiple Tools â–Ľ
Aligns zoning, permitting, preservation, and funding so they work together instead of pulling in different directions. For example:
• Zone for apartments → Streamline permits → Offer tax incentives → Result: housing actually gets built
4. Tracks Progress with Real Data â–Ľ
Creates a dashboard to monitor:
• Units permitted vs. units delivered
• Rent and price trends
• Funding committed vs. spent
• Affordability by household type
If something isn't working, you can see it and adjust.
5. Can Be Updated Quickly â–Ľ
Master Plans take years to update. Housing Action Plans can be revised annually as conditions change—new state laws, funding opportunities, market shifts. It's nimble, not set in stone.

🤔 "But What About...?" (Common Concerns, Answered)

"Wouldn't it be easier to just approve projects one at a time?" â–Ľ
That's what we're doing now—and it's failing.
In constrained markets like Portsmouth, incrementalism produces random wins but no coherent strategy. A plan doesn't eliminate case-by-case review; it gives each decision a context. "Does this project help us meet our 500-unit goal?" instead of "I guess we could approve this?"
"The City can't force anyone to build housing." â–Ľ
True—and irrelevant.
Cities control whether housing is legal, feasible, and predictable to build. A Housing Action Plan removes self-imposed barriers. It doesn't mandate development; it makes development possible.
"Government moves too slowly." â–Ľ
Slow government is a choice, not a law of nature.
Delays happen when responsibility is diffuse and nobody owns outcomes. A plan assigns clear ownership, deadlines, and priorities. That's how staff can act decisively instead of waiting for perfect consensus.
"We can't afford a consultant/staff person." â–Ľ
Portsmouth has a ~$500K Housing Trust already designated for housing initiatives.
Using part of that to develop an action plan isn't extravagance—it's responsible governance. Many cities hire a Housing Navigator whose position pays for itself by unlocking state/federal grants.

đź“š Want to Dig Deeper? Explore Our Peer Cities' Plans

See what housing action looks like in practice:

Keene, NH
Housing Needs Analysis & Strategy with implementation matrix
keenenh.gov/community-development/housing →
South Portland, ME
Housing Needs Assessment & Production Strategy with ranked recommendations
View South Portland's Report →
Burien, WA (The Gold Standard)
Complete Housing Action Plan with specific implementation steps and timelines
burienwa.gov/burien_housing_action_plan →

The Bottom Line

Keene has a Housing Strategy.
South Portland has a Housing Strategy.
Burien has a Housing Action Plan.
Portsmouth—with higher stakes—has none of these.

This is why we keep having the same conversations year after year.

Tell City Council: We Need an Action Plan

PROGRESS PORTSMOUTH

Housing advocacy for a Portsmouth that works for everyone

Your voice matters. Show up, speak up, and demand a real plan.