ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE HOUSING IN THE UPPER VALLEY LAKE SUNAPEE REGION

This research brief focuses on the development of affordable housing in the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Region (UVLSR) of New Hampshire. The region faces an ever-present housing shortage that affects low and moderate-income families, limiting their access to livable housing in both the rental and homeowner markets, diminishing the workforce, and creating greater scarcity of service. Our brief addresses the unique barriers hindering the region's ability to introduce and maintain diverse housing options, including local infrastructure challenges and misconceptions about the housing crisis.

To elucidate options to advance affordable and workforce housing development in the Upper Valley, we identified the following key criteria to guide our analyses: (1) affordability for low-income, middle-income, and working people (ranging from 30 percent to 120 percent of the Area Median Income),¹ (2) budget-consciousness for the towns, and (3) livability for future residents.²

Our research employs a mixed-methods approach, encompassing quantitative analyses by assessing town-level differences across several housing-related factors, leading expert interviews to gather diverse perspectives from housing professionals, and compiling case studies of successful affordable and workforce housing developments in similar U.S. regions. This research, conducted from January 1, 2024 to March 11, 2024, provides an extensive understanding of the housing crisis in the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Region and offers evidence-based options to improve access to diverse, affordable, and workforce housing while considering budget constraints, livability, and sustainability.