We write to you as a group of individuals, organizations, and businesses passionate about bettering our Queen City community. Manchester and New Hampshire are facing a shortage of housing all across our city and state. This shortage is harming our economy and the livelihood of our communities. The housing shortage persists in large part because of exclusionary zoning and land use rules designed to suppress the construction of less expensive housing types. The prospect of an updated Land Use Code in Manchester brought about hope that the door would open for more homes to be built.

We want to thank and congratulate you for all of the hard work that went into passing an updated Land Use Code for the city of Manchester. We appreciated the planning department’s commitment to including and valuing public input throughout this process. The creation of the Zoning Ordinance Steering Committee provided an additional avenue for our voices to be heard. These individuals fought for changes that reflected the wants and needs of our community.

The policies implemented in the updated Land Use Code will create common-sense standards for Manchester. By legalizing more home types in more zoning districts, we can improve residents’ quality of life, better support a growing job market and population, boost the economy in older walkable downtown areas, and increase access to housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods. We understand that the work is never done, but this is a step in the right direction. Thank you again for all of your hard work, for including the public in this process, and for spending years on an updated Land Use Code that will allow for more home types and more connected neighborhoods.