Housing Action Plan

The Housing Committee presented its recommendations to the City Council on July 13, 2026. The Council referred the matter to the Planning Board for further review. It is anticipated that the Planning Board will discuss the recommendations at its August 20, 2026 meeting.

In This Plan

A strong foundation for this work was established through a series of housing-related studies and reports. Beginning with the Housing Committee Final Report and City Council Housing Policy in 2016, the City has continued to build on its understanding of local housing conditions through ongoing research and analysis. This includes the "Places to Live" study circle dialogue in 2024, an Inclusionary Zoning Analysis completed the same year, and earlier efforts such as the Portsmouth Market Study (2022) and Housing Development Trends analysis (2020).

Housing has been the top priority of both the current City Council and the prior Council. The 2026–2027 City Council set a clear goal of increasing housing supply for all income levels, reducing costs, simplifying the development process, and expanding below market-rate housing options. This Council also directed the creation of this Housing Action Plan and a comprehensive update of the zoning ordinance.

This direction builds on the goals of the 2024–2025 City Council, which emphasized expanding housing choices, increasing below market-rate housing, and advancing zoning changes to support housing development. That Council also supported initiatives such as the Housing Navigator program, the Housing Blue Ribbon Committee, and the establishment of a Below Market Rate Housing Trust Fund.

Over the past two years, residents and community advocates devoted substantial time and expertise to housing in Portsmouth, offering comment and producing research, analytical tools, and a proposed framework of actions brought to the Council and the Housing Committee. That work informed the Council's February 2026 direction to create this Housing Action Plan, and much of it is reflected in the actions that follow. The City welcomes this kind of engagement — addressing Portsmouth's housing challenges will continue to require the knowledge, energy, and participation of community members.

Zoning Changes

Earlier zoning initiatives during this period also helped establish the framework for more flexible land use. The adoption and expansion of the Gateway zoning districts and creation of the Gateway Neighborhood Overlay District have supported redevelopment and encouraged a broader range of housing types in appropriate locations. These efforts have established important groundwork for the current Housing Action Plan.

Housing Production Incentives

As a result of these combined efforts, Portsmouth has built a strong foundation for continued progress. The City has not only studied housing issues extensively, but has also taken concrete steps to update regulations, test new approaches, and support development in practice. This body of work directly informs the Housing Action Plan and the recommendations that follow, providing a more coordinated framework for moving forward together with the ongoing Master Plan update.

Master Plan Integration

At its core, the plan makes it easier to create housing, with a specific focus on expanding below market-rate options. Key strategies include allowing more multi-family housing, reducing requirements such as lot size and setbacks, and making it easier to convert large single-family homes into multiple units — supporting new housing in areas that are already developed, rather than relying solely on new growth areas.

The plan also emphasizes better use of underutilized properties, including redevelopment of older commercial and office buildings into housing, and a wider range of housing types, such as smaller homes, clustered housing, workforce housing, and live/work units, to serve residents at different stages of life and income levels. Financial tools and programs round out the plan, including the Housing Trust Fund, in-lieu payment options, and homebuyer assistance programs, along with a continued commitment to preserving existing below market-rate housing, expanding senior housing options, and complying with workforce housing requirements. Each action in the plan includes clear steps, a responsible party, and a timeframe, providing a roadmap the City can track over time.

Priority Actions

These seven actions are the plan's top priorities. Prefer to see these in a table?

Housing Action Plan Table (PDF)

Full List of Implementation Actions

Current Housing Projects