New Hampshire House to Vote on Repealing Housing Champions Program

The program has supported 65 new housing units in Manchester and over 2,600 statewide, but some lawmakers want to end it.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 4:39pm

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The New Hampshire House is scheduled to vote on Thursday on a bill that would repeal the state's Housing Champions program, which has provided grants to municipalities to support the production of workforce housing and critical infrastructure upgrades. The program has been credited with supporting 65 new housing units in Manchester and over 2,600 statewide, but the bill's sponsor says it is a "bad program" that the state "can't afford." Supporters of the program argue it has been successful in getting needed housing built and addressing critical infrastructure issues that have slowed housing growth in the state.

Why it matters

The Housing Champions program has been cited as a major factor behind increased building permits in New Hampshire, helping the state inch toward closing its housing supply gap. Repealing the program could slow housing production and raise costs, while also breaking trust between the state and local governments that have already made changes to access the grants.

The details

HB 1196 would repeal the Housing Champions program, which was created in 2023 and provided $5 million in grants in 2024 and 2025 to 11 communities, including $322,253 to Manchester that supported 65 new workforce and transitional housing units. The program has been responsible for supporting 385 housing units already built and making an estimated 2,280 more possible through infrastructure upgrades. However, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Matt Drew, R-Manchester, criticized the program as a "state-funded incentive to get cities and towns to subsidize politically favored projects."

  • The Housing Champions program was created in 2023 and implemented with $5 million in the previous state budget.
  • The first $5 million in grants was distributed in 2024 and 2025.
  • HB 1196 to repeal the program is scheduled for a vote in the New Hampshire House on Thursday.

The players

Housing Champions program

A state program that provides grants as an incentive to towns and cities to make changes that remove barriers to creating housing, including supporting 65 new housing units in Manchester.

Rep. Matt Drew

The Republican representative from Manchester who is the sponsor of the bill to repeal the Housing Champions program, calling it a "bad program" that the state "can't afford."

Nick Taylor

The director of Housing Action NH, who said the Housing Champions program is "already delivering results" and that "municipalities are updating their regulations to allow for more housing, and communities are using these incentives to modernize water, sewer, and safety infrastructure that directly supports new homes."

Rep. Karen Hegner

The Democratic representative from Manchester who wrote in an op-ed that ending the Housing Champions program would "pull support from communities that have already done the work and planned projects around it" and "would slow housing. It would raise costs. It would break trust between the state and local governments."

Manchester

The city that received $322,253 in Housing Champions grants to support 65 new workforce and transitional housing units, including 48 units at the Upland Heights community and 30 units at the former St. Anne's church.

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What they’re saying

“This is a bad program. We can't afford it and we should end it.”

— Rep. Matt Drew, R-Manchester

“The Housing Champions program is already delivering results. Municipalities are updating their regulations to allow for more housing, and communities are using these incentives to modernize water, sewer, and safety infrastructure that directly supports new homes.”

— Nick Taylor, Director of Housing Action NH

“Ending Housing Champions would pull support from communities that have already done the work and planned projects around it. It would slow housing. It would raise costs. It would break trust between the state and local governments. Manchester has done its part. The state should keep its word.”

— Rep. Karen Hegner, D-Manchester

What’s next

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The takeaway

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