Governor Ayotte Named a “Defender of Housing” by National Association of Home Builders

CONCORD, NH - Today, Governor Kelly Ayotte was named a "Defender of Housing" and received an award from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) for her work to tackle New Hampshire's housing crisis.

The New Hampshire Association of Home Builders (NHHBA) presented the award to the Governor on behalf of the NAHB.

Accepting the award, Governor Ayotte said, "I'm honored to receive the Defender of Housing Award, and I want to thank the National Association of Home Builders for recognizing the work we did to bring more housing to our state. This was a joint effort with the Legislature and our private sector and nonprofit partners, and together, we cut red tape and expanded opportunities to build housing across our state. I'm focused on ensuring these new laws make building easier and faster so we can keep New Hampshire the best state for economic opportunity."

"The New Hampshire Home Builders Association is proud to present the National Association of Home Builders Defender of Housing Award to Governor Kelly Ayotte," said incoming NHHBA President Eric Jackson, Director of Acquisitions & Development at Stabile Companies. "Governor Ayotte's leadership on housing has been critical to tackling our state's #1 economic issue. Thanks to her support, we have new laws in place to speed up construction and remove barriers to building, and our state agencies are working to reduce wait times and red tape. NHHBA is proud to be a partner in these efforts."

During her first year in office, Governor Ayotte made housing a top priority. The Governor led the effort to streamline the State's permitting process to cut red tape and speed up construction. She also signed a package of bipartisan housing bills that modernized zoning laws, expanded accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and opportunities to convert empty office space into residential housing, and reduced outdated parking and height restrictions that drive up construction costs.