Event Recap: Seacoast Housing Conversations Launches with Strong Regional Engagement

This March, the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast (WHC) partnered with UNH Cooperative Extension to launch Seacoast Housing Conversations, a new regional peer-learning and networking series for housing practitioners and decision-makers. 

Designed to bring together local elected officials, land use board members, and municipal and regional planning staff, the program creates space for shared learning, relationship-building, and collaboration across communities. 

Based on feedback and engagement from the first sessions, we hope to continue this effort as a series, solidifying a commitment to continued knowledge sharing and conversation. 

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March 5: In-Person Convening 

The inaugural in-person session took place at Exeter’s Parks and Recreation

building, bringing together participants from more than 15 communities across New Hampshire and Maine. Despite differences in size and context, attendees shared a common challenge: a regional housing shortage that demands collaboration, not siloed solutions. 

The evening opened with remarks from WHC Executive Director Emmy Ham, UNH Extension’s Nate Bernitz, and Exeter Economic Development Director Darren Winham, who highlighted local initiatives such as the Mixed-Use Neighborhood District and the town’s Housing Advisory Committee. 

Participants also heard from key partners, including New Hampshire Housing and both Rockingham and Strafford Regional Planning Commissions, who shared resources and insights on advancing housing through technical assistance, funding, and collaboration. 

Most of the session focused on small-group discussions guided by four core questions around successes, challenges, priorities, and future needs. These conversations underscored a strong desire for connection, peer learning, and practical problem-solving. 

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March 12: Virtual Session 

A follow-up virtual session one week later expanded access for those unable to attend in person and allowed some participants to engage more deeply. Using the same discussion framework, the session reinforced key themes and continued the exchange of ideas across communities. 

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Key Themes & Takeaways 

Between the virtual and in-person sessions, we collected responses from over 30 citizen planners, professional staff members, land use board volunteers, and more on how housing is impacting their communities. 

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Progress Through Local Action 

Communities are making meaningful strides through zoning reforms such as overlay districts, mixed-use ordinances, and form-based codes. These incremental changes are beginning to unlock new housing opportunities while

maintaining community character. Some municipalities are also seeing tangible production gains and strengthening planning capacity through grants, partnerships, and improved engagement. 

Many Housing Champion communities – such as Dover, Rochester, Newmarket, and Exeter – were in attendance, speaking to the commitment to making a tangible impact and bringing housing units online. (In fact, the 19 Housing Champions accounted for almost half of New Hampshire’s permitted new housing units in 2024.) 

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Persistent Barriers 

Development costs remain the most significant obstacle— “the math isn’t mathing” for many projects. Infrastructure limitations, particularly water and sewer capacity, further constrain development potential.  

Meanwhile, public opposition and misunderstanding continue to slow progress. Participants shared that many residents support affordable housing in theory but resist the density, design, or tradeoffs required to make projects viable.

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Priorities Moving Forward 

In the face of a potentially existential housing crisis, Seacoast communities are prioritizing incremental, targeted zoning reforms as a practical path forward. This includes expanding housing types like ADUs, cottage courts, townhouses, and co-living, as well as refining dimensional standards and reconsidering parking requirements.  

With consideration for environmental health and public infrastructure availability, emphasis remains on creating more flexibility in town centers and residential neighborhoods and embracing smart growth principles. These efforts are underscored by improvements in public engagement and alignment of housing efforts with broader economic development and infrastructure planning. 

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Looking Ahead 

Both sessions made clear that opportunities for regional collaboration among land use professionals are limited and deeply valued. Participants expressed interest in continued peer learning, site visits to communities implementing innovative policies, and more direct engagement with developers to identify shared challenges and solutions. 

Whether it’s education, innovation, or zoning, we hope to explore these topics in upcoming Seacoast Housing Conversations sessions. We’re so thankful to everyone that joined us at our inaugural events, and hope that the community of housing professionals, advocates, and board members will continue to grow as we expand our networks. 

Keep an eye out for the next Seacoast Housing Conversations event on our social media, the UNH Cooperative Extension or WHC newsletters, or on our websites.  

Looking for resources, guidance, or to get involved in the meantime? Contact Emmy Ham from the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast at director@seacoastwhc.org or Nate Bernitz from UNH Cooperative Extension at nate.bernitz@unh.edu to learn more about our organizations.