WHC Newsletter | December 2025
- Seacoast WHC
- 18 hours ago
- 8 min read
Welcome to the Greater Seacoast Housing Wire!
As we bring you the final monthly newsletter of 2025, I’m filled with gratitude for the people, partners, and progress that have shaped an extraordinary chapter for the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast.
This year marked an important period of transition for our small but mighty team. We cheered on Taylor Cray as she headed off to law school and proudly watched Nick Taylor step into his new role as Executive Director of Housing Action New Hampshire. Their leadership, dedication, and care helped build a strong foundation for our work.
At the same time, we were thrilled to welcome Maeve Nolan as our Communications & Engagement Coordinator, whose energy, thoughtfulness, and capability ensured a seamless transition and strengthened how we connect with Seacoast communities.
We are also deeply thankful for our sustaining funders, New Hampshire Housing, The Brook, and New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and the many organizations that joined or rejoined the WHC Membership Program this year, all of which are proudly featured on the Our Coalition page of our website. Their collective commitment affirms that advancing workforce housing is a shared responsibility, and a shared opportunity.
The collective expertise, time, and commitment of our Board of Directors sustain this organization and push us to be better each year. In 2025, we welcomed new directors: Robert Baldwin, Allison Burridge, Mark Davie, Chris Saucier, Nick Taylor, and Sarah Wrightsman. We were equally grateful to our veteran directors: Michael Behrendt, James Burdin, Michael Castagna*, Adam Causey*, Carrie DiGeorge*, Jen Kimball, Bart McDonough, Ryan Pope, Lindsay Sonnett*, and Sarah Tatarczuk. We will miss those* who will be terming off at the end of the year, and are deeply grateful for your service.
Looking ahead and as I approach my first anniversary in this role, I do so with optimism and deep appreciation for this community that has welcomed me wholeheartedly into the place they call home. Thank you for being part of this work and for helping ensure that everyone who works in the Seacoast can afford to call it home. I cannot wait to see what we accomplish in 2026!
Coalition Updates
Event Recap: 2025 Annual Celebration & Awards Night
Our 2025 Annual Celebration & Awards Night was a great success, and it was wonderful to see many of you there! Last Thursday, December 18, we gathered at The Brook Casino to celebrate this year's housing wins, both statewide and locally, and to recognize this year's award recipients:
💼 Business Leadership Award — Lighthouse Credit Union
🏛️ Municipal Leadership Award — Town of Durham’s Housing Task Force
🏗️ Project of the Year Award — The Rapids on Cocheco by Elm Grove Companies
🤝 Community Impact Award — Progress Portsmouth
Each award recipient has approached the affordable housing crisis from a different angle, with a different set of constraints and stakeholders to manage. Yet, they joined together under a common message and commitment to action that has created tangible results, with much more success to come.
We thank each individual, business, and non-profit who are stepping up in the face of the housing crisis and supporting our workforce!
🔗 Click here for a full event recap: Event Recap - 2025 Annual Celebration & Awards Night
Out and about from the local...
Executive Director Emmy Ham had two additional speaking engagements over the last month. Ham joined the Portsmouth Rotary Club on November 20 to discuss the shortage of workforce housing and housing needs on a regional and local level.
On December 10, she presented at the Carsey Policy Hour, a monthly webinar series through the UNH Carsey School of Public Policy. A full recording of the presentation is available here.
Both events were met with an engaged and open audience, and we are appreciative of the opportunity to share with such embedded community members!
...to the state level!
On December 12, the WHC team travelled up to the NH Institute of Politics at Saint
Anselm College for the 8th Annual Housing We Need Forum, presented by the Center for Ethics in Society and the Initiative for Housing Policy and Practice.
This year’s theme – Supply Unlocked: Levers for Housing Growth – welcomed attendees and speakers from across the state to share strides and sticking points in local zoning, advocacy, public services, and more. The energy was underscored by keynote speaker Mike Kingsella of Up for Growth, a national coalition focused on boosting housing supply and policy reform.
Local Updates
NEWS: New age-restricted development brings 30 affordable units to Newmarket
On the tails of receiving Housing Champion designation from the state, the Town of Newmarket has welcomed 30 new affordable units for seniors. Created by Newmarket Housing Authority, Clark Housing completed construction in November and is the latest in recent developments curbing the housing shortage for our region's seniors, many of whom are still in the workforce.
NEWS: Mixed-use development on former church land brings proposal of 172 units to Somersworth
In hopes of addressing the city's lack of housing and land suitable for density, developers are hoping to bring new life to Holy Trinity Church in Somersworth. If approved as proposed, the mixed-use development would bring over 150 units alongside ample commercial space and a walkable environment to High Street.
NEWS: Recent snags in funding and zoning pose threat of delay and reconfiguration of affordable projects in Portsmouth
A recent Zoning Board ruling in Portsmouth left the latest co-living project in flux at what is currently the Citizens Bank on Pleasant Street. Developer Mark McNabb is now redesigning his original proposal of 55 co-living units, and bringing into question whether the site will go forward with co-living at all.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth Housing Authority's Sherburne School project is facing uncertainty of long-term funding. At a recent meeting of the Portsmouth Blue Ribbon Housing Committee, representatives of PHA expressed that the first phase has received funding and a greenlight to begin construction soon, but details of the second phase remain unknown.
NEWS: Now onto Phases 2 and 3, The Ridge in Rochester is gaining market-rate momentum
The Ridge, one of Rochester's largest developments, is moving into construction of Phase 2 and approval stage for Phase 3. Boasting hundreds of new units, the development is designed as a mixed-use community ideally located in key transportation corridors. However, very little has been said about including workforce housing in the future plans.
State Updates
NEWS: As real estate market enters off-season, lack of consensus emerges around housing stock and prices
Across the state, housing prices seem to have moderated in November as compared to the summer months. Still, the median home price is noticeably higher than last year at this time. While some believe inventories have spiked and prices are on the decline, others are more hesitant about broader forecasting.
🔗 Read about Strafford County: Strafford County home market 'normalizing.' Here are 3 top sales
🔗 Read about Rockingham County: $5M Portsmouth condo tops Seacoast home sales as inventory rises
NEWS: Legislative proposal to investigate housing at Pease and Great Bay Community College sparks local and state-level dialogue
Among dozens of proposals of legislation related to housing for the 2026 session, one in particular has caught people's attention: investigating the potential for development at Great Bay Community College. The idea is to dedicate this housing to GBCC students as well as military personnel stationed at Pease Air National Guard Base.
This comes as Governor Ayotte has pledged that housing will remain one of her top issues in the new year.
NEWS: Less than 10% of the state's buildable land has access to public infrastructure. Now what?
After the release of the Water and Sewer layer update to the New Hampshire Zoning Atlas, many are left struck by the lack of developable land with access to both public water and sewer services (5.6%). The findings have left housing policy experts, planners, and advocates looking for innovative solutions.
🔗 Read more: After slew of new zoning laws, housing advocates face next challenge: water and sewer access
NEWS: New state laws in Maine are cutting red tape and allowing density by right
LD 1829, which will go into effect statewide next summer, is set to allow three dwelling units on all residential lots and decrease lot size in designated growth areas. Through this law, the State of Maine is pursuing smart growth and acknowledging their role in address the housing crisis.
Reports & Research
REPORT: US tariffs on Canadian goods found to be increasing cost of homebuilding, and homebuying
The steep tariffs placed on Canadian goods have begun impacting the cost of construction in New England, a region that often relies on lumber from Canada to build homes. This price is likely to be pushed onto consumers, furthering the extent of our regional housing affordability crisis.
REPORT: Recent survey finds that walkability is a top amenity for home buyers in historic wave
A new study from the National Association of Realtors finds that active homebuyers of all ages are favoring walkable communities over many typical luxuries. As New Hampshire boosts its development, these findings could be key for the creation of future mixed-use, mixed-generational, and mixed-income residential settings.
RESEARCH: Coastal areas across the country are facing climate threats and increasing home insurance premiums
From Martha's Vineyard to New Orleans, the cost of insuring homes in coastal communities is rising alongside other housing affordability concerns. In this piece from Joint Center for Housing Studies, researchers explain why renters are especially vulnerable to these shifts.
RESEARCH: In today's housing crisis, even full-time workers struggle to find stability
A new segment from PBS News Hour features author Brian Goldstone to discuss the current reality of the housing crisis for our workforce. Across the country, the phenomenon is the same: rents are outpacing wages to the point that people working full-time or multiple jobs cannot find stable and secure housing.
Resources
RESOURCE: What is Workforce Housing?
This new fact sheet from New Hampshire Housing is a one-stop-shop to understand what Workforce Housing is, what is means in the state of New Hampshire, and what laws exist to ensure it gets built.
🔗 Access here: What is Workforce Housing? - NH Housing
Thank You!
Our sustaining funders and coalition members power our work to advance housing solutions, bring together community partners, and build momentum toward a future where everyone who works in our region can also afford to call it home.
To learn more about how you can become a member, renew your membership or otherwise support our work, please email Emmy Ham at director@seacoastwhc.org.