Where We Live Tours
This initiative aims to demystify workforce housing one visit at a time. Too often, new housing opportunities and zoning changes meant to expand housing diversity are met with resistance fueled by misperceptions. We’re here to change that.
Through Where We Live, we take participants on guided tours and host open discussions that welcome anyone curious about potential housing solutions. By seeing real developments firsthand and hearing from those involved, attendees can better understand what workforce housing looks like, how it works, and why it matters.
These events not only help break down myths but also spark the exchange of ideas and solutions across communities. We’re proud to partner with dedicated organizations and municipalities to make them possible.
Want to join our next tour? Subscribe to our newsletter and follow our events page to stay in the know!
Past Tours
Dover and Newmarket Resident Owned Manufactured Homes
In June 2022, we partnered with the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund for a bus tour of resident-owned manufactured home communities in Dover and Newmarket.
Attendees learned about the history and economics behind resident-owned manufactured home communities. We also heard from residents about how this housing option works for them and received a tour of a manufactured home.
In resident-owned communities, the residents form a cooperative with help from the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund to jointly purchase the land beneath the manufactured homes.
In non-cooperative owned communities residents own their homes, but an outside company owns the land and charges rent, which puts the homeowners at risk for sudden, unexpected rent increases. Manufactured homes are a key part of the attainable housing solution — where else in New Hampshire can you access home ownership for $75,000?
Ruth Lewin Griffin Place
In September 2022, we partnered with the Portsmouth Housing Authority for a tour and discussion about the funding mechanisms behind their 100 percent workforce housing Ruth Lewin Griffin Place in downtown Portsmouth.
At this event, titled “Making The Math Work”, we were joined by representatives from New Hampshire Housing to discuss the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and other programs that help affordable housing developers afford to build below-market rate units.
Ruth Lewin Griffin Place set a new standard for workforce housing developments in New Hampshire, but the need is bigger than any one project. Portsmouth Housing Authority Executive Director Craig Welch shared that within the first few weeks, they had over 350 applications for 64 units.
Downtown Exeter
In September 2022, we partnered with the Town of Exeter, the New Hampshire Planners Association, and the Rockingham Planning Commission to host a walking tour of diverse housing options in downtown Exeter.
We often hear that workforce housing and increased density will change the character of a community. This mile-long walking tour highlighted the attainable housing options hiding in plain sight and how these housing options fit in perfectly with the character of the community.
As local officials think about their communities, they would be well served to look at how Exeter uses an innovative value-per-acre lens when looking at the economic productivity of their downtown. Increased density in certain zones allows for increased conservation in their rural zones, which limits sprawl while providing much-needed housing.
Sophie Banner Drive
In August 2024, we partnered with Rob Baldwin of Central Falls Realty and Ryan Pope, Housing Navigator with the City of Dover, to provide a tour of Rob's new development at Sophie and Banner Drive.
This development, made possible by Dover's Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Ordinance, is 31 units on 7.79 acres. The units are a mix of single-family homes (for sale), and townhouses (for rent). Some of the rental units will be permanently available at HUD fair market rates.
We often hear concerns that rental housing projects will not fit into the overall character of a neighborhood, or will alter the architectural style of a community. This tour was a great way to dispel some of those myths while also learning about how innovative land use policies, such as TDR, can be used to make projects like this possible!
Newmarket Downtown Revitalization
In October 2024, we partnered with Bart McDonough, WHC Board Member and Newmarket Town Planner, to host a walking tour of Newmarket's use of RSA 79-E.
RSA 79-E is a community tax incentive that provides temporary tax relief to property owners who choose to revitalize buildings in downtown and community areas. The Town of Newmarket has used these credits to revitalize some of the old mill buildings in the downtown core, many of which have been converted to housing in the form of apartments and condos.
RSA 79-E provides communities in New Hampshire with the ability to explore financing options for revitalization in their downtown and economic core. While this may not work to every community, we were fortunate to hear from Newmarket residents who were grateful for the business and community spaces that have re-emerged in their downtown in recent history.
The Cottages at Back River Road
In October 2023, we partnered with Maggie and John Randolph for a tour of their well-known project in Dover called the Cottages at Back River Road. The community consists of 44 affordable, all-electric, energy efficient tiny home designed by Harmony Homes and GSD Studios.
These homes were build on a lot that was originally zoned for nine luxury homes, demonstrating an innovative approach to address the shortage of affordable housing for members of our workforce. Each cottage is a stand-along dwelling with a ground-floor bedroom, a loft that can be used as a second bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and a mini-split system for heating and cooling.
Thank you to the Randolphs for allowing us to visit this amazing project, and for dedicating their time, resources, and expertise to make this project come to life. To learn more about their motivations behind the project, check out our feature of the duo in our Why Housing Matters series!
