Portsmouth Housing Meetings Tracker | March 2026

City Council

Planning Board

Zoning/BOA

Housing Related

Other Boards

✅ Housing Action Plan Implementation Now Underway

Council voted 9–0 on Feb 17 to direct City staff to produce a Housing Action Plan by July 2026, including two required public hearings. The Progress Portsmouth Housing Action Plan document will be the starting point. A new Housing Navigator will be hired. Watch for public hearing announcements — that is when the plan's content gets decided.

📊 FY27 Budget Season Underway

The City Manager's proposed budget is expected in April 2026. Budget work sessions and public hearings are now confirmed for May. The Housing Navigator position funding is the key item to track.

📅 Tuesday, March 10, 2026

2:00

PM

Technical Advisory Committee Work Session — CANCELLED

📍 Conference Room A, City Hall

Cancelled

📄 Cancellation Notice

📅 Wednesday, March 11, 2026

2:00

PM

Portsmouth Housing Authority Board of Commissioners

📍 Margeson Apartments, 245 Middle Street

Agenda Posted Housing

PHA oversees the City's public housing stock and affordable housing pipeline — including the 44-unit workforce project at 1035 Lafayette Road approved in February. Watch for updates on that project and any new Housing Action Plan coordination.

📄 Agenda 📅 City Calendar

4:00

PM

Conservation Commission

📍 Council Chambers, 1 Junkins Avenue

Agenda Pending

📅 City Calendar

📅 Monday, March 16, 2026

8:30

AM

Legislative Subcommittee

📍 Conference Room A, Municipal Complex

State Legislation Agenda Pending

Watch: The Housing Champions repeal (HB 1196) is now in the NH Senate. Portsmouth holds the designation. The subcommittee tracks state legislation with local fiscal or policy impact — this bill's fate directly affects Portsmouth's housing funding.

📅 City Calendar

7:00

PM

City Council — Public Hearing

📍 Council Chambers, 1 Junkins Avenue

Housing Adjacent Item Confirmed

Confirmed agenda item: Public hearing on elderly and disabled tax exemption income limits — threshold increase options tied to Social Security COLA or CPI-U. Also watch for any early Housing Action Plan implementation updates or Housing Navigator hiring status.

📄 Agenda (posted Thu prior) 📺 Watch Live

📅 Tuesday, March 17, 2026

7:00

PM

Board of Adjustment

📍 Council Chambers, 1 Junkins Avenue

Agenda Pending

BOA hears variance and special exception requests — often relevant to housing density, setbacks, and ADU cases. The Feb 17 ADU ordinance changes (by right in all single-family zones) may reduce BOA ADU caseload going forward.

📅 Thursday, March 26, 2026

7:00

PM

Planning Board

📍 Council Chambers, 1 Junkins Avenue

Agenda Pending Watch: Housing Action Plan + Master Plan

Key board to watch as both Housing Action Plan implementation and Master Plan Phase 3 move forward simultaneously. The Planning Department is coordinating both processes — watch for signals about how the two are being integrated and whether Housing Action Plan production targets are being embedded in the Master Plan.

Note: No City meetings after sundown March 19 or all day March 20, in observance of Eid al-Fitr — this meeting falls after that period.

📄 Planning Dept Schedule ✉️ Written Comments

📅 Looking Ahead — April–July 2026

Apr 6

Mon

City Council Meeting

📍 Council Chambers — 7:00 PM

Agenda Pending

Watch: Housing Navigator hiring update. Any Housing Action Plan process announcements. City Manager budget expected in April — watch for Navigator position funding.

Apr 16

Thu

Planning Board

📍 Council Chambers — 7:00 PM

Agenda Pending Housing Action Plan + Master Plan

Apr 20

Mon

City Council Meeting

📍 Council Chambers — 7:00 PM

Agenda Pending

May 11

Mon

City Council Budget Work Session — General Fund

📍 Council Chambers — 6:00 PM (with Public Comment)

FY27 Budget

General Government, Fire, Police, School Depts. Watch: Whether the Housing Navigator position appears in the General Government budget and at what funding level.

May 18

Mon

City Council — Opening of Budget Public Hearing

📍 Council Chambers — 7:00 PM

Budget Public Hearing

Public comment opportunity on the FY27 budget. If the Housing Navigator position is underfunded or omitted, this is the formal public comment window.

TBD

Spr–Sum

Housing Action Plan Public Input Hearings (2 required — dates not yet set)

📍 To be announced by Planning Department

High Priority

The Feb 17 resolution requires at least two public hearings before the Housing Action Plan is finalized. Dates not yet announced. These are the primary opportunities for the public to shape what the plan contains.

Jul

2026

Housing Action Plan Completion Deadline

📍 City Council

Deadline

Council resolution sets July 2026 as the target. Master Plan Phase 3 (Developing the Plan) runs March–August — both processes run simultaneously. How they coordinate will determine what housing production commitments end up in each document.

▾ Key Completed This Period ▾

📅 Wednesday, March 4, 2026 — Completed

6:30

PM

Historic District Commission

📍 Council Chambers

Completed

📅 Tuesday, March 3, 2026 — Completed

2:00

PM

Technical Advisory Committee

📍 Conference Room A, Municipal Building

Completed

📅 Monday, March 2, 2026 — Completed

7:00

PM

City Council Meeting

📍 Council Chambers

Completed

📄 View Actions 📺 Recording

📅 Thursday, February 26, 2026 — Completed

6:30

PM

Sustainability Committee

📍 Conference Room A, Municipal Building

Completed

📅 Thursday, February 19, 2026 — Completed

7:00

PM

Planning Board

📍 Council Chambers

Completed

Site review: 65 Onyx Lane and 1980 Woodbury Ave.

📅 Wednesday, February 18, 2026 — Completed

2:30

PM

NH Housing Finance Authority — Public Hearing

📍 Portsmouth Housing Authority, 245 Middle Street

Completed 44 Affordable Units

1035 Lafayette Road: NHHFA hearing on $18.5M PHA project — 44 new affordable units. Includes $413K Affordable Housing Fund financing.

7:00

PM

Board of Adjustment

📍 Council Chambers

Completed

📅 Monday, February 17, 2026 — Completed ⭐

7:00

PM

City Council — 9–0 Housing Action Plan Vote + Zoning Ordinances

📍 Council Chambers

Completed 9–0 Housing Action Plan Vote ADU Ordinance Parking Reform

Housing Action Plan approved 9–0. Council directed City staff to create a Housing Action Plan by July 2026 with two required public hearings, and to hire a Housing Navigator. The Progress Portsmouth Housing Action Plan framework confirmed as starting point.

Also approved: ADU Ordinance (by right in all single-family zones; 750 sq ft min; internal door requirement removed), Off-Street Parking reform (CUPs eliminated), Solar Energy Systems ordinance.

📄 View Actions 📺 Recording