About this Video

• Video Title: 2025 Charrette Reveal
• Channel: MWVHC
• Speakers: Sarah Butterfield, Christa Carin, Josh Mallister, Michael Couture, Robert White, Liz Lahi Harrison Cansler, Alex Loth, Sue Perry, Nick Aceto, Ryan O'Conor, Josh Brston, Brittney Hodgej, Evelyn Welton, Brandon Schwarz, Grace McNeel, Representative David Paige, Ben Kobath, Harrison Canler
• Duration: 01:25:22

Introduction

This video presents the results of a 2025 affordable housing charrette conducted by the Mount Washington Valley Housing Coalition (MWVHC). The charrette involved community input and collaboration with design professionals to develop housing solutions for the Mount Washington Valley region, addressing the area's housing shortage.

Key Takeaways

1. Critical Housing Shortage: The Mount Washington Valley has a 0% rental vacancy rate, highlighting a severe housing shortage impacting both low-income residents and the workforce. The median two-bedroom rental costs $1445, requiring a household income of $57,800 to afford.
2. Charrette Solutions: The charrette proposed a 117-unit development across two properties, incorporating diverse housing typologies (studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom units, single-family homes, and ADUs). The design emphasizes walkability and community space, using existing infrastructure wherever possible. A significant number of units would be deed-restricted for long-term affordability.
3. Financial Considerations: The project's estimated cost is substantial, requiring significant upfront investment from a developer. Various financing options and funding sources (grants, loans, potential partnerships with Memorial Hospital) are discussed to address this challenge.
4. Zoning and Policy Recommendations: The charrette leveraged recent zoning updates in Conway, including density bonuses and driveway length extensions. The video explores various policy tools (tax incentives, impact fees, housing trust funds, short-term rental taxes) to incentivize affordable housing development and maintain long-term affordability through deed restrictions. State-level legislative action is emphasized as crucial for broader impacts.
5. Community Engagement: The MWVHC emphasizes community engagement throughout the process, highlighting the importance of public input and collaboration between residents, developers, and policymakers.

The transcript indicates that the charrette utilized several zoning updates from Conway's recent town vote. Specifically, changes around density and making sites easier and less expensive to develop were used. Additionally, the limitations on driveway lengths were changed. While the exact details of these changes aren't explicitly listed, the video mentions that driveway limitations were previously 200ft but are now extendable to 800ft for long-term residency sites.

The transcript mentions that the charrette utilized several zoning updates passed in Conway's recent town vote. These changes primarily focused on increasing density and simplifying the development process to make it less expensive, particularly for affordable housing projects. More specifically, the driveway length limitations were altered; previously capped at 200 feet, they can now extend to 800 feet for developments solely dedicated to long-term residency. The exact details of the other density-related changes aren't specified in the transcript.

The transcript mentions several types of deed restrictions used to maintain long-term affordability:

1. Residency Restrictions: These limit occupancy to primary residents only, preventing the property from becoming a second home or short-term rental. An example given is a requirement to live in the property for at least nine months of the year.

2. Income Restrictions: These limit the sale of the property to buyers whose income falls within a specific percentage of the area's median income (e.g., 80%). This ensures the property remains affordable for target demographics.

3. Prohibition of Short-Term Rentals: These explicitly forbid the property from being used for short-term rentals (like Airbnb), thereby preventing quick profits and maintaining long-term occupancy for residents.

The restrictions are typically included in the property deed, making them legally binding and enforceable. A nonprofit or the town often monitors these properties to ensure compliance upon resale. This monitoring and management ensure that the properties are sold to the intended buyers, maintaining affordability for the long term and preventing exploitation of any equity gains.